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•RYTHING 
ABOUT 
OUR 
NEW 

^SESSIONS 

BY 




[^1 TH08. J. VIVIAN 

AND 

RUEL R SMITH 



16^9. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Chai)£5.7.a'opyri£fht No 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



EVERYTHmG 



ABOUT 



Our New Possessions. 



Being a Handy Book 



ON 



CUBA, PORTO RICO, HAWAII, 



AND 



THE PHILIPPINES. 



•_V'" BY ,^\ 

THOMAS J. VIVIAN AND RUEL P^'SMITH. 



NEW YORK : 
R. F. FENNO & CO. 

1899. 






COPYRIGHTED 189Q, 
BY 

R. F. FENNO & CO 



■) frf>»" 



^N 















^1 

J) 

tr INTRODUCTION. 



T'HERE is not one fact nor statement in this book that 
cannot be found in some other authoritative book 
or official document. 

BUT the books and documents from which these facts 
and statements are taken would form a library of scores 
of volmnes, with thousands of pages, and costing many 
dollars; while this is a liandy book of but a fezv pages 
and costs but a trifle. Yet it contains all that is of value 
to the man ivho seeks information on our New Posses- 
sions. 

The search for, extraction and arrangement of that in- 
formation have taken months of hard, troublesome, 
tiring ivork. 

BUT from this handy book a man may get that infor- 
mation in a minute, at a glance. 

It is for these reasons, because it means the saving of 
time, labor and money, that it is believed this little vol- 
ume will be valuable. 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



As to NUMBER and AREA. 

It is estimated that there are about 2,000 islands in 
the group. 

New ones are being continually added to the maps. 

A part of the archipelago is unexplored. 

The principal islands are : Luzon, Mindanao, Pala- 
wan, Paragua, Samar, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Ne- 
gros, Cebu, Masbate, Bohol, Catanduanes, Polillo, 
Marinduque, Tablas, Burias and Ticao. 

Luzon, the largest, has 41,000 square miles 

Mindanao has 37,5oo " " 

Palawan has 10,000 " " 

The next four have, each 10,000 " ** 

Aggregate land area of the group. 1 14,356 " " 

For comparison: 

Virginia 42,450 square miles 

Pennsylvania 45,215 " " 

The total area of the group is equal to the combined 
area of Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Hampshire, 
Maryland and Connecticut, and is about a thousand 
square miles larger than the Territory of Arizona. 

The area of the mainland of Spain is 191,365 square 



Our New Possessions. 

miles. The comparative figures give an adequate idea 
of what that country has lost in the PhiHppines. 

The Philippine Islands form a great part of the 
vast archipelago lying southeast of Asia. They cover 
about 1,000 miles north and south and 600 miles east 
and west. They extend from 5 degrees 32 minutes to 
19 degrees 38 minutes north latitude, and from 17 
degrees to 126 degrees east longitude. 

On the north and northwest the islands are sepa- 
rated from China by the China Sea and the Indo- 
Chinese Peninsula. Toward the east is the Pacific. 
On the north small islands stretch out toward For- 
mosa. On the south a double connection is formed 
with Borneo by the line of the Palawan, Balabac and 
Sulu islands. 



AstoPGPULATION* 

Total estimated population of the islands. . . .8,000,000 

Spaniards 20,000 

English, American and other foreign people 

(about) 5,000 

Most of the tribes are of Malay origin. Besides 
these are Tagolos, Ygorotes, Aetas, Negritos, pure 
blacks, Chinese, Japanese, Indios, Moors and mixed 
races. 

Some 500 languages and dialects are spoken. 

In the as yet inaccessible parts of the islands there 
are unsubdued savage tribes, estimated at about 600,- 
000 in number. 

The most primitive are the Negritos, a race of 



Philippine Islands. 9 

dwarf blacks. They are confined to the higher moun- 
tain ranges in Luzon and Negros. 

On first arrival the Spaniards found a part of the 
natives somewhat civilized; but while they had a 
written language, of which some specimens have 
been preserved, it proved to be of no value in throw- 
ing light upon their early history. 

Their traditions are few and their folk lore has 
not impressed itself on any Spanish historian. The 
Philippine Malays are a superior race to many other 
Asiatic peoples ; they take life easy and are in the 
main easy of control, when not wrought upon by 
scheming leaders. 

The natives are all born gamblers, and cock fight- 
ing is their principal pastime. Every town has its 
cockpit. /The Spaniards have taken advantage of 
this passion as a means of extorting heavy taxes, and 
the government has conducted a lottery to take ad- 
vantage of the islanders' habit of gaming.' They are 
fond of music, dancing and amusements of all kinds. 



As to CLIMATE. 

In the Region of Manila. 

Hottest season from March to June 

Hottest month May 

Maximum temperature in May. from 80 to 100 degrees 

Coolest season December and January 

Temperature in coolest season, 

from 60 to 65 at night ; 75 by day 
Mpst delightful season, .from November to February 



10 Our New Possessions, 

U. S. Weather Bureau's Compilation, Covering 
FROM 7 TO 32 Years : 

Temperature^ degrees Fahrenheit: 

Mean annual 80 degrees 

Warmest month 82 " 

Coolest month 79 " 

Highest 100 " 

Lowest 60 " 



Humidity: 

Relative per cent 78 

Absolute grains per cubic foot 8.75 



Wind movements in miles: 

Daily mean 134 

Greatest daily 204 

Least daily 95 

Prevailing wind direction — NE., November to April ; 
SW., May to October. 

Cloudiness, annual per cent 53 

Days with rain 135 



Rainfall in Inches: 

Mean annual. 75-43 

Greatest monthly 120.98 

Least monthly 55.65 



Philippine Islands. II 

The following is the mean temperature for the 
three seasons, at points specified : 

Cold. Hot. Wet. 

Manila 7^ 87 84 degrees 

Cebu 75 86 75 

Davao 86 88 87 

Sulu 81 82 83 " 

Owing to the extreme length of the archipelago 
from north to south there is a great variety of cli- 
mate, but the general characteristics are those of the 
tropics. Seasons vary with the prevailing monsoons, 
or trade winds, and are classed as "wet" and "dry." 
The Spanish describe the seasons as "six months of 
mud," "six months of dust," and "six months of 
everything." 

The northern islands lie in the track of the ty- 
phoons, which, developing in the Pacific, sweep over 
the China Sea from northeast to southwest during 
the southwest monsoon. They may be looked for at 
any time between May and November, but it is dur- 
ing the months of July, August and September that 
they are most frequent. 

Early in the season the northern region feels the 
greatest force, but as the season advances the ty- 
phoon gradually works southward, and the danger- 
ous time at Manila is about the end of October and 
the beginning of November. Typhoons rarely, if 
ever, pass south of 9 degrees north latitude. 

Thunderstorms of great violence are frequent in 
May and June, before the commencement of the rainy 
season. During July, August, September and Octo- 
ber the rains are very heavy. The rivers and lakes 



12 Our New Possessions. 

then overflow, flooding large tracts of the low coun- 
try. 

The typhoon is the most interesting and the most 
terrible of storms. It is a great, revolving circle of 
tempest, varying from 40 to 130 miles of exterior 
circle and with an inner or comparatively calm core 
of from 8 to 15 miles. The entire great storm field 
moves across the sea at the rate of about 14 miles an 
hour. 

Seamen note the approach of these hurricanes 
by clouds that look like fine hair, or feathers, or 
small tufts of white wool, traveling from east or 
north; a slight rise in the barometer; clear and dry 
weather, and light winds. Then quickly follow the 
usual threats of storm ; the wind comes in sharp, 
violent gusts, and a long, heavy swell, confused and 
broken, rolls ahead of its path. If the barometer 
falls rapidly then the navigator must decide quickly 
whether to try to sail across the face of the storm 
and escape it, or to heave to, in accordance with 
well defined rules, adapted to whichever semi-circle 
of the storm must be encountered. 

The sea, encircled by the great wind disc, is tossed 
into mountainous heaps with incredible quickness; 
the fury of the winds is almost indescribable. 



As to DISTANCES. 

San Francisco to Manila 8,iii statute miles. 

New York to Manila 11,361 " " 

Cadiz, Spain, to Manila I0,e°° " 



Philippine Islands. 13 

As to COST and TIME in GETTING THERE. 

Time — By Way of the Suez Canal. 

New York to London — American Line, 

Southampton Service 7 «lays. 

London to Hong Kong — Peninsular and Ori- 
ental Line 4° 

Hong Kong to Manila— Local Steamer Ser- 
vice 3 

Total— New York to Manila 50 " 



Cost — By Way of the Suez Canal. 

New York to Hong Kong— First class, 

through rate $434-00 

Hong Kong to Manila 35oo 

Total cost New York to Manila, first class $469.00 

New York to Hong Kong, second class 248.50 

The Suez route Is by way of Southampton, Gibral- 
tar, Mediterranean and Indian ports to Hong Kong 
and Manila. 

The through rate is much cheaper than the regular 
fares, each line making a reduction. 

Berths should be engaged in advance at New York 
on the Peninsular and Oriental Line. 



14 Our New Possessions. 

Time — By Way of San Francisco. 

New York to San Francisco 6 days 

San Francisco to Hong Kong — Pacific Mail or 

Oriental and Occidental lines 20 " 

Hong Kong to Manila 3 " 

Total— New York to Manila 29 " 

Cost — By Way of San Francisco. 

New York to Hong Kong, through rate $303.50 

Hong Kong to Manila, " " 35.00 

New York to Manila, through rate $338.50 

The San Francisco route to Manila is by way of 
Honolulu, Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe, Shanghai and 
Hong Kong. 

The through rate is cheaper than the sum of the 
regular fares. 

Rates from New York, New Orleans and St. Louis 
to San Francisco are given in the division "Hawaiian 
Islands." 

Regular Rates — San Francisco to Manila. 

(Pacific Mail Steamship Co.) 

First class cabin, one way $270.00 

Four months, round trip 412.50 

Twelve months, round trip 468.75 



Philippine Islands. 15 

European servants accompanying families, one 

way $195.00 

The same, four months, round trip 300.00 

The same, twelve months, round trip 337-50 

Asiatic servants accompanying famiHes, one 

way 50.00 

The same, four or twelve months, reduced trip. 100.00 
Missionaries and their families, first class, one 

^"^^y 213.75 

European servants of same, one way 157.50 

Asiatic servants of same, one way 50.00 

European steerage, one way 145.00 

Asiatic steerage, one way 78.00 

Children 5 and under 12 years, half rate; 2 and 
under 5 years, quarter rate ; under 2 years, free. 

Baggage allowance— 350 pounds each adult cabin 
passengers ; 233 pounds each servant ; 175 pounds each 
steerage passenger ; excess baggage, 3 cents a pound. 

Cabin passengers may, if they desire, stop over at 
Honolulu and proceed by a succeeding steamer of the 
Pacific Mail Co. or the Oriental and Occidental 
Steamship Co., without extra charge. 



As to PLPJL and CABLE SERVICE, 

In round numbers, it takes about four weeks for a 
letter, mailed at the New York Post-Office, to reach 
Manila. 

Mail goes by the way of San Francisco. 

The regular foreign rate, 5 cents for each half 



l6 Our New Possessions. 

ounce, is charged for letters ; merchandise, i cent an 
ounce up to four pounds. 

For soldiers and sailors only 2 cents an ounce letter 
postage is charged. 

From New York to Manila cablegrams go by way 
of the Suez, there being no Pacific cable. 

Messages from New York to Manila over the West- 
ern Union cable cost $2.10 a word. 

Among the important repeating stations between 
New York and Manila are Canso, N. S. ; Valentia, 
Ireland; London, Brest, France; Port Said, on the 
Suez; Aden, Arabia; Madras, India; Singapore and 
Hong Kong. 



AstoTRADE^ 

In the Matter of Exports. 

The principal staples of export are tobacco — manu- 
factured and raw — Manila hemp, sugar cane, coffee, 
cocoanuts and copra. 

The principal manufactures are hats, mats, baskets, 
ropes, furniture, coarse pottery, carriages and musi- 
cal instruments. 

EXPORTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 3I, 1897. 

Bales of hemp — 280 pounds per bale — to the 
United States 138,792 

Bales of hemp — 280 pounds per bale — to Great 

Britain 78,106 

Increase in the export of hemp in 1897 — bales. . 158,485 



Philippine Islands. 17 

Increase to the United States in 1897 — bales. .133,896 
Decrease to Great Britain in 1897 — bales 22,348 

Of increased shipments of hemp from the Philip- 
pines in 1897 those to the United States were 544 per 
cent, greater than to all other countries combined. 

Of the total exports of hemp from the Philippines 
for the ten years ended 1897, amounting to 6,528,965 
bales, or 914,055 tons, 41 per cent, came to the United 
States. 

During these same years the islands exported to 
the United States and to Europe 1,582,903 tons of 
sugar. This was divided up as follows : 

To the United States 875,150 tons. 

To Great Britain 666,391 " 

To Continental Europe 41,362 " 

Of the total exports more than 55 per cent, came to 
the United States. 

For the ten years ended 1897 the value of the ex- 
ports of hemp and raw sugar to the United States 
amounted to $89,263,722.80, or an average of nearly 
$8,926,372 per year. 

Data as to cigars, tobacco, copra, woods, hides, 
shells, indigo, coffee, etc., are not obtainable in full, 
but a conservative estimate would so raise the above 
figures as to show United States imports from these 
islands to average about $1,000,000 per month. 

In the Matter of Imports. 

The chief imports are rice, flour, machinery, dress 
goods, wines, coal, petroleum. 



1 8 Our New Possessions. 

According to a British Foreign Office report the 
imports in 1896 from several of the most important 
countries were in value as follows : 

Great Britain $2,467,090 

Germany 744,928 

France 1,794,900 

Belgium 272,240 

United States 162,446 

China 103,680 

In 1897 the Philippines received these imports : 

Cotton manufactures $1,524,622 

Silk " 142,135 

Woolen " 64,704 

Apparel 109,588 

Machinery 191,269 

Metals and manufactures of 337,216 

Coal 57,852 

Provisions 118,538 

Great Britain led all the other countries in its ex- 
ports to the Philippines. 



As to RAILROADS and TRAVEL. 

Only one railroad has been built, running from 
Manila to Pangasinan, 123 miles. It is a single track 
road, connecting the capital with the rice growing 
districts. 



Philippine Islands. 19 

As to BUSINESS CHANCES, 

From Consular Report Sept. 16, j8g8. 

The Chinese, who are in the majority among the 
aliens, control the retail trade. 

Next to them come the Spanish dealers. 

There are about 300 other Europeans in business in 
the entire group. 

The richest dealers are the Creoles and Mestizos, a 
combination of Chinese and Tagalese. 

In Manila there are many large cigarette factories, 
some of which employ as many as 4,000 hands. A 
few German, Swiss and English firms have entered 
that field. 

There is a sugar refinery, a steam rice mill, a Span- 
ish electrical plant, a Spanish telephone exchange, a 
Spanish tramway, worked partly by steam and partly 
b}'' horse power; rope factories, worked mainly by 
hand (a few use oxen) ; a Spanish brewery, which 
furnishes a good beer ; a German cement factory with 
70 hands; a Swiss umbrella factory; and a Swiss hat 
factory, which makes felt and straw articles, the lat- 
ter out of Chinese straw braid. 

A cotton mill with 6,000 spindles and with capital 
(English) of £40,000 ($194,600) is in process of erec- 
tion. 

The European firms in Manila are divided as fol- 
lows: Forty-five Spanish, 19 German, 17 English, 2 
English and 6 Swiss brokers, 2 French storekeepers 
with large establishments, i Dutch, and i Belgian. 
Small retail stores (40 in number) are kept by Chi- 
nese firms. 

The German and Swiss firms are general impor- 



20 Our New Possessions. 

ters, while the export of hemp and sugar, the import 
of domestic dry goods, and the ship chandlery trade 
are in the hands of the EngHsh. 

Credit from one to three months and 5 per cent, 
is given, while spot-cash sales command a discount 
of 7 per cent. Caution is advised in dealing with the 
Chinese merchants, as Manila has no mercantile 
register like Hong Kong. 

Cotton yarns are a heavy import article, so far 
mainly from Barcelona, by reason of the minimum 
Spanish tariff. The Spanish manufacturers have 
done what England, Germany and Switzerland have 
always refused to do, and that is to renumber the 
yarns. In Manila, No. 10 is sold numbered 24; No. 
16 numbered 30; No. 18 numbered 32; No. 22 num- 
bered 49; No. 32 numbered 50, and No. 36 or 40 
numbered 60. The orders given are for four-fifths 
unbleached and one-fifth bleached. 

Dyed yarn is bought in Nos. 20 and 32, in colors of 
orange, green and rose. Turkey red yarn, in the 
correct numbers 20 to 40, especially 32, used to come 
from Elberfeld ; but of late years Spain has managed 
to supply it. 

Bleached and unbleached shirtings and drills, from 
Manchester, are sold in large quantities, but of late 
the pieces have decreased in yards as well as in 
widths. The staples now are white shirtings, 26 
inches wide and 36 yards long; gray T cloth, 25 
inches wide and 215^ yards long; gray long cloth, 28 
inches wide and 32 yards long; and gray drills, 25 
inches wide and 27 yards long. 

Colored prints, 24 inches wide, with red ground 
and fancy crimps, are good sellers. Ginghams and 
chellass, for bed coverings, etc., common quality, in 



Philippine Islands. 21' 

large patterns with red ground— some with yellow 
or blue squares, some with indigo ground, and a few 
in green — in pieces of 24 yards, find a good market, 
while cotton cassinette, in light weight and double 
width, for trousers, is in demand. 

Handkerchiefs, 17 by 18 inches and 22 by 22 inches, 
white, or white with colored borders, are the "cor- 
rect thing." Black cotton zanellas, 185^ inches wide, 
for the dresses of the country women, and aniline 
black satins, in 45-inch goods, are considered stylish. 

Woven cotton underwear is a great staple, and 
white cotton bed quilts, in fancy patterns, are used as 
ponchos, after a hole has been cut in the centre. 

It is estimated that 500,000 dozen undershirts are 
used annually — two-third with arms half-length, 
sizes 34 to 40, 27 inches long, bleached white, striped, 
printed and network. Men's cotton socks, 9 to 11, 
and ladies' cotton hose, 8 to 9^, are the right sizes. 
Cheap cotton-lace pinta fichus are worn by all the 
women. 

Other articles which have a good sale are low- 
priced sewing machines, carriages and parts, enam- 
eled ware for cooking utensils, and, last but not least, 
American clocks, which now have a good foothold, 
and for which there is an increasing demand. 

In the Matter of Boots and Shoes. 

The latest customs statistics show that the imports 
of footwear for the year 1894 amounted to about 
$94,000. The United States did not figure in the 
tables showing this trade into the Philippines, yet the 
United States are the largest manufacturers of boots 
and shoes. 



22 Our New Possessions. 

This trade was divided as follows : 

Value. 

Boots and shoes of leather and canvas $13,204 

Boots and shoes of patent leather and calfskin. 50,796 
Slippers and common shoes worn by Chinese. . 7,179 
Footwear for children 23,114 

Henry W. Gilbert, Consul, in his report dated 
Liege, July 5, 1898, advises our manufacturers to 
prepare for this trade with the islands. 



As to GOVERNMENT and LAWS. 

Until shortly before August 13, 1898, when Manila 
surrendered to the American forces, after a short 
land fight and bombardment, there was, in Madrid, 
a council of state for the Philippines, which had in 
charge "the interests of the colony," and which acted 
as an advisory board to the Minister of the Colonies. 

At Manila the administration of the government 
had for its head a Governor General, who was at the 
same time Captain General, Director and Inspector 
General of all arms and institutes ; he was also dele- 
gated Superintendent of Finances, President of the 
Administrative Council of the Ayuntamiento, Pro- 
tector of the Spanish Bank, etc., etc. Next to the 
Captain Generalship of Cuba this was the most lucra- 
tive post at the disposal of the home government. 
His jurisdiction also extended over the Mariana, or 
the Ladrone, islands, the Carolines, and the Pelew 
islands. 



Philippine Islands. 23 

The islands were divided into four provinces and 
four military districts, and were governed by politico- 
military commanders. 



As to INSTITUTIONS. 

In the Matter of Religious Worship. 

The Roman Catholic is the established church in 
the Philippines. 

There is one Archiepiscopal See and three bishop- 
rics. 

Most of the ecclesiastical authority is in the hands 
of the various religious orders — Dominicans, Augus- 
tines, Franciscans, etc. 



As to CITIES, 

On the Island of Luzon. 

Manila is the capital of the Philippine Archipelago 
and of the Province of Manila. It was founded in 
1571- It lies on the left bank of the mouth of Rio 
Pasig, about 25 miles from the entrance of the bay, 
and has 110,000 inhabitants. 

It is a fortified city, encircled by a wall with bas- 
tions and bulwarks, and a ditch and outer ditch where 
it does not front on the bay or river. The waters 
can be let in and thus isolate the city. 

The streets are straight, well paved and illumi- 
nated. Prominent among its buildings are the gov- 



24 Our New Possessions. 

€rnor*s palace, the royal court of chancery and the 
Convent of San Augustin, with its handsome church ; 
the church and convent of the Recollects of San 
Francisco, whose buildings occupy an immense 
space; the royal college and pontifical university of 
St. Thomas, which is spacious, well constructed and 
possesses a notable physical laboratory; the munic- 
ipal atheneum, in charge of the Jesuits, with a physi- 
cal laboratory, natural history museum, and a magni- 
ficent apparatus for astronomical observations ; the 
military hospital, with room for i,ooo beds, and the 
spacious and well-attended hospital of San Juan de 
Dios. 

Among the buildings ruined in the earthquake of 
1863, some of which are being reconstructed and 
others already so, are the cathedral and the customs 
building. 

The real nucleus of the population of Manila is in 
its suburbs. These comprise the pueblos, or towns, 
of Binondo, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Quiapo, San 
Miguel, Sampaloc and Tondo. The neighborhoods 
of these suburbs are delightful and picturesque, with 
rivers, lagoons, creeks, islands and little hamlets. 
Bridges connect these suburbs with Manila. 

The suburb of Binondo is the most mercantile of 
the archipelago ; here were centered the Spanish con- 
trol of the revenues and monopolies ; here are the gen- 
eral tobacco warehouses, and here were administered 
the finances of the province. The streets of Binondo 
are narrow, but the houses tastefully and well built. 

North of Binondo, separated by a river spanned by 
several bridges, is the suburb of Tondo, extending to 
the west of the bay, on flat, sandy ground. The 
houses are in general constructed of cane and nipa — 



Philippine Islands. 25 

a species of palm with feathery leaves. The streets 
are narrow, but there is a handsome church, a small 
theatre and a market place. 

Northeast of Binondo is the suburb of Santa Cruz, 
with good buildings, a flower market, theatre, public 
jail, etc. 

Northeast of Manila, and at the extremity of the 
suburb of Santa Cruz, is the suburb of Quiapo, with 
good houses, well aligned streets and a pretty market 
place. There is a suspension bridge here over the 
Pasig measuring 350 feet long by 23 feet wide. 

The suburb of San Miguel is situated to the east 
of Manila on the opposite bank of the Pasig River, 
and is connected with Quiapo by a wooden bridge. 
It has good buildings and a comfortable and well 
ventilated barracks. Along the river are a number of 
villas, the last one being called Malacamang, until 
recently the residence of the supreme Spanish au- 
thority of the archipelago. It consists of a palace, 
divided into two parts, surrounded by gardens. 

On the island of San Andres, in the centre of the 
river Pasig, is the convalescent hospital, the San 
Jose poorhouse and the insane asylum. 

To the northeast of Manila, adjoining it and front- 
ing on the river bank, is the place known as Arro- 
ceros — the rice mills — where are located extensive 
tobacco factories, one of which employs 7,000 women ; 
the botanical gardens, the Spanish theatre and the 
Kiosko, for public dances. 

A mile and three-quarters south of Manila, on the 
bay, is the pueblo of Malate. It is crossed by the 
highway from the capital to Cavite and has a fine 
church and barracks. 

On the shores of the Pasig River is the promenade 



2!^ Our New Possessions. 

of Magallanes, on which is erected an obelisk to the 
memory of the great navigator, Magellan. There 
are cock pits and luxurious cafes, the Spanish Rec- 
reation Club, a military library, and, outside the town, 
a riding school and race course. 

'Pasig, in Manila province, is 7 miles from Manila 
and has a population of 22,000. 

Cavite, 7 miles down the bay from Manila, is 
the great dock and shipyard of the port. It is the 
capital of the Province of Cavite. About a mile 
from its shore v/as depth enough of water for the 
Spanish fleet to lie. It is a narrow spit of land, point- 
ing toward the city of Manila, and its batteries took 
part in the battle of Manila Bay. There is a dock 
for gunboats and a private dock for vessels of 1,500 
tons. From Cavite to Manila by road is 15 miles. 
All its buildings are of stone, among them being 
several churches, a theatre and casino. 

Bangued is the capital of the Province of Abra. 
It is 236 miles from Manila and has a population of 
13,417. It has a telegraph station and was the resi- 
dence of the politico-military governor. 

Albay is the capital of the Province of Albay. 
It has a population of 14,000, and is situated on the 
bay of the same name, at the foot of the Mayon vol- 
cano. 

Nueva Caceres is the capital of the Province 
of the Camarines. It is 207 miles from Manila and 
has a population of 11,550. It is situated on the 
Naga River, which is navigable from the sea to the 
capital by vessels of from 150 to 200 tons. It has a 
cathedral, a bishop's palace, seminary for the clergy 



Philippine Islands. ^7 

of the country, a normal school, court house and 
postoffice. 

Batangas is the capital of the Province of Ba- 
tangas. It is 72 miles from Manila and has a popu- 
lation of 39,358. It is situated in a cove on the 
Calumpang River and has a good harbor. During 
the month of February agricultural and industrial 
fairs and expositions are held there. 

BuLACAN is the capital of the Province of Bulacan. 
It is 22 miles from Manila and has a population of 
13,186. It has a church, a town hall and about 2,000 
stone houses. 

TuGUEGARAO is the capital of the Province of Caga- 
yan. It has a population of 16,826. Among the prin- 
cipal houses are the government house, of elegant 
architecture, the court house, church and town hall. 

Laoag is the capital of the Province of Ilocos 
Norte. It has a population of 37,094. 

Vigan is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur. 
It is 238 miles from Manila and has a population of 
19,000. It has a cathedral. Episcopal palace, court 
house, administration building and council seminary. 

Santa Cruz is the capital of the Province of La- 
guna. It is 48 miles from Manila and has a popu- 
lation of "13,141. It is celebrated for its markets. 
High roads lead to Batangas, Cavite, Manila and the 
Province of Tayabas. There are many fine build- 
ings. 

LiNGAYEN is the capital of the Province of Panga- 
sinan. It is 146 miles from Manila and has a popu- 
lation of 18,886. It has a postoffice and telegraph 



28 Our New Possessions. 

station, a good parish church and about 3,500 houses, 
some of stone, along one long and broad street. 

Tayabas is the capital of the Province of Tayabas. 
It is 91 miles from Manila and has a population of 
15,000. There are dock yards in which good vessels 
are constructed. 

Iba is the capital of the Province of Zambales. It 
is 122 miles from Manila and has a population of 
3,512. It has a jail, court house, church, meeting 
hall and parish house, and was the residence of the 
mayor, judge and other functionaries. It has a post- 
office and telegraph station. 

On the Island of Mindanao. 

Zamboanga is the capital of the District of Zam- 
boanga. It has a population of 21,300. It is a forti- 
fied place and a naval station, and has a fine barracks 
and the castle of San Felipe, which dominates the 
town and harbor. 

Bago, in the District of Davao, has a population of 
7,000. 

SuRiGAO is the capital of the District of Surigao. 
It has a population of 6,285. It was the residence 
of the governor, judge and other officials. 

On the Island of Mindoro. 

Calapan is the capital, with a population of 5,585. 
It is 96 miles from Manila, on the harbor of Calapan, 
and has about 500 houses. 



Philippine Islands. 2g 

On the Island of Panay. 

Iloilo is the capital of the Province of Iloilo. It is 
about 250 miles from Manila by steamer and has a 
population of 10,380. It is, next to Manila, the most 
important port in the Philippines. It stands on a 
low, sandy flat on the right bank of the river Iloilo. 
Vessels of moderate draft— 15 feet— can ascend the 
river a short distance and lie alongside wharves which 
communicate with the merchant houses, but large 
vessels must anchor outside. 

Iloilo has a pretty cathedral, a seminary and court 
house. Among its industries are a machine shop, 
foundry, a carriage factory and a hat factory. 

The better class of houses are built on strong, 
wooden posts, two or three feet in diameter, that 
reach to the roof; stone walls to the first floor, with 
wooden windows above and an iron roof. The poorer 
classes of dwellings are flimsy erections of nipa, built 
on four posts. The roads and bridges are nearly use- 
less and practically impassible in the rainy season. 

The chief imports are Australian coal and general 
merchandise from Europe. 

The exports are sugar, tobacco, rice, coffee, hides 
and hemp. 

Provisions of all kinds can be obtained, but the 
prices are higher than at Manila. Water is scarce. 
The Europeans depend mainly on rain water. 

There is regular communication with Manila; the 
steamers generally arrive on Monday and leave on 
the same or following day. 

Capiz is the capital of the Province of Capiz. 
It is 290 miles from Manila and has a population of 



30 Our New Possessions. 

13,676. It has a harbor for vessels of ordinary draft 
and highroads to Iloilo, Antique and the District of 
Concepcion, There is a steamer kept by the State, 
stopping at the harbor every 28 days and connecting 
with Manila, Iloilo and Cebu. 

On the Island of Cebu. 

Cebu is the capital, with a population of 35,243. 
It is the mercantile centre of the Visaya group. It is 
460 miles from Manila. It is an Episcopal See and 
has a cathedral, Episcopal palace, court house and 
some well built private edifices. There is a post 
office and telegraph station. 

The city of Cebu is the most ancient in the Philip- 
pines. It has been the seat of government of the 
group of Visayan islands, which include Cebu, Bohol, 
Panay, Negros and Leyte. It is built on a large 
plain at the foot of the chain of hills that traverse the 
island throughout its length. 

The merchants' quarter is situated along the port 
and includes some stone houses. The huts of the 
Malays, for the most part fishermen, are on the beach 
and form the west part of the city. 

Maktan Island, which lies across the narrow chan- 
nel from Cebu, is where Magellan was killed in 1521, 
after making the first passage across the Pacific. 



As to GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

No methodical and detailed study of the geography, 
nor even of the number of the islands, has been made. 



Philippine Islands. 31 

Present maps and charts are defective, except for the 
seaboard, in the survey of which the leading mari- 
time nations have co-operated. The coast line is very 
irregular, the ocean cutting in and forming countless 
bays, gulfs, isthmuses and peninsulas. There are 
long passages and natural canals between the islands. 

The whole surface of the Philippines is essentially 
mountainous, the only plains that occur being al- 
luvial districts at the river mouths and the spaces 
left by the intersection of the ranges. The principal 
ranges have a tendency to run north and south, with 
a certain amount of deflection east and west, as the 
case may be, so that the orographic diagram of the 
archipelago, as a whole, has a similiarity to a fan, 
with northern Luzon as its centre of radiation. 

From the southern point of Mindanao to the north- 
ern extremity of Luzon, the relief of all the islands 
is either in a line with the southern isthmuses or 
parallel to them. 

On the other hand, the islands of Bohol, Cebu, 
Negros and Panay are disposed in a line with, or 
parallel to, the Sulu Archipelago, while Mindoro and 
the main section of Luzon form the northeast exten- 
sion of Paragua and Borneo. 

Most of the surface appears to be formed of old 
rocks, especially schists, and, in the north of Luzon, 
granite. 

In 1627 one of the most elevated mountains of 
Cagayan disappeared, and on the island of Mindanao, 
in 1675, a passage was opened to the sea and a vast 
plain emerged. The more recent of the convulsions 
occurred in 1863 and in 1880. The destruction of 
property was great, especially in Manila. 

The Philippines were once, it is believed, a part of 



32 Our New Possessions. 

a gigantic continent, from which they were separated 
by some cataclysm. This continent probably extended 
from Celebes to the farthest Polynesian islands on 
the east, to New Zealand on the south, and to the 
Mariana and Sandwich Islands on the north. 

The disposition of the mountain ranges in parallel 
chains affords opportunity for the development of 
streams both in Luzon and in Mindanao. The larger 
islands contain inland seas, into which pour num- 
berless small streams from the inland hills. Many of 
them open out into broad estuaries, and in numerous 
instances coasting vessels of light draft can sail to the 
very foot of the mountains. These rivers and inland 
lakes swarm with fish and shellfish. Four of the 
rivers, at least, are navigable. 

Most of the interior roads are scarcely worthy of 
the name, and not much is known of those running 
along the coast. In the dry season the roadbeds are 
fair, but when the rains come they are little more 
than sloughs, not being ballasted with rock or metal. 

The soil of the islands is exceedingly fertile, but 
agriculture is almost wholly undeveloped. The island- 
ers are skilful weavers of cotton and silk; they tan 
leather, are good ship builders and make wagons and 
carts. 

A species of buffalo is the great beast of burden, 
and is used in the rainy season to drag a sort of 
sledge over the muddy roads. The Philippine horse 
is small and ugly, but is sturdy and useful in the dry 
season. The best specimens sell for $150. The bull, 
of Spanish origin, is found wild, and deer are plenty 
in the thickets. 

Spain's efforts to secure a monopoly greatly re- 
tarded the early commerce of the Philippines with the 



Philippine Islands. 33 

world, and it was not until i8og that the first Eng- 
lish firm obtained permission to establish a business 
house in Manila. In 1814 this permission was made 
more general. It is only, however, since 1834 that 
foreign capital and methods have materially de- 
veloped the natural resources. 

Internal commerce, as well as foreign trade, suf- 
fers from lack of facilities for transportation. This 
is marked during the rainy season, when the coast- 
ing trade is a dangerous one and the swollen condi- 
tion of the streams nearly stops land traffic. 

The public revenue has been about $12,000,000 per 
annum, of which the larger part was raised from di- 
rect taxation, customs, monopolies and lotteries. For 
the imposition and collection of taxes Spanish in- 
genuity has been exercised to the utmost, but the 
basis of the financial system in the Philippines was 
the poll-tax, which every adult under sixty years of 
age, male or female, had to pay. Almost every arti- 
cle of import was heavily taxed. On muslin and pe- 
troleum the duty was about 100 per cent, of cost. 



In the Matter of Rivers. 

The Rio Grande de Cagayan, on the 
island of Luzon 200 miles long. 

The Agno Grande, on the island of 
Luzon 112 " " 

The Abra, on the island of Luzon. ... 87 " " 

The Rio Agusan, or Buluan, on the 
island of Mindanao 236 " " 

The Polangui, on the island of Min- 
danao 87 " " 



34 Our New Possessions. 

For comparison: 

The Hudson 300 miles long. 

The Merrimac 120 " " 

The Kennebec 150 " 

There are hundreds of smaller rivers on the various 
islands, besides countless small streams flowing from 
the inland seas. 

In the Matter of Harbors. 

Trade is confined chiefly to Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, 
Sual and, to a lesser extent, Zamboanga, on the island 
of Mindanao. 

The Bay of Manila is one of the finest in the world, 
120 miles in circumference. There are two long 
piers running out from the mouth of the Pasig River 
into Manila Bay. 

At Cavite, 8 miles to the southwest by water, is a 
marine railway capable of handling vessels of 2,000 
tons displacement ; also a dock for small vessels. 

Iloilo, the second port in importance, is on the 
island of Panay, about 250 miles in a direct line from 
Manila. 

In the Matter of Mountains. 

While none of the mountain peaks greatly exceeds 
8,000 feet in height, Apo, in Mindanao, is over 9,000 
feet; Halson, in Mindoro, is over 8,900 feet; and 
Mayon, in Luzon is over 8,200 feet. The latter is an 



Philippine Islands. 



35 



active volcano, which has been the scene of several 
eruptions during the present century. Extinct or ac- 
tive craters are numerous in the Philippines, and as a 
consequence of these subterraneous forces earth- 
quakes are frequent and violent. 



BY PROVINCES. 

The Province of Manila, on the Island of Luzon, 
has a population of 400,000. Besides Manila and 
Pasig, elsewhere referred to, it has the town of Tam- 
bobong, three miles from Manila, with a population 
of 25,000, and a dozen others with population ranging 
from five to ten thousand. 

The Province of Abra, in the northern part of 
Luzon, has a rich vegetation, and the oak, pine and 
strawberry tree flourish. Among the game are buf- 
falo, deer, wild boars and monkeys. 

The Province of Albay, in the extreme southeast 
of Luzon, is covered with almost impenetrable forests 
of rich timber. There are numerous rivers, and on 
the coast there are dockyards, where vessels are con- 
structed. It has seven towns with population rang- 
ing between 13,000 and 20,000, and as many more of 
about 10,000. 

The Province of North Camarines is crossed by 
numerous rivers. Its thick forests are inhabited by 
tribes of Negritos, and there are unworked mines of 
gold, silver, iron, copper and lead. It has six towns 
with population ranging from 9,000 to 17,000, be- 
sides scores of smaller villages. 
The Province of Batangas is just south of Luzon 



36 Our New Possessions. 

and opposite Mindoro. It is noted for its high 
mountains, thick woods and fertile valleys, over 
which roam droves of buffalo and wild horses. The 
principal industries are the manufacture of silk, 
abaca and cotton fabrics and dye stuffs. Lipa, eight- 
een miles from the capital, Batangas, has a popula- 
tion of 40,733 ; Bauang has 39,659 ; Balayang has 
24,747 ; Taal has 33,37S ; Tanaun has 20,038, and there 
are numerous towns of from 5,000 to 10,000. 

The Province of Bulacan, to the north of Manila, 
is one of the smallest but richest provinces in the 
archipelago. It is crossed by the Pampanga River, 
which empties into Manila Bay by several mouths, 
some of which are navigable. There are sugar mills, 
and cacao, rice, indigo, sesame, and fruits are grown. 
There are mines of iron and magnetite and quarries 
of alabaster. Striped cloths of silk and cotton are 
manufactured. Hagonoy has a population of 20,120; 
San Miguel de Mayumo has 20,460, and there are 
numerous towns of from 8,000 to 15,000. 

The Province of Cagayan, which is bounded on the 
north by the China Sea, is the coolest territory in the 
archipelago, and in January and February the body 
must be given additional protection. In other sea- 
sons the air is impure and oppressive, owing to the 
humidity caused by more than fifty rivers and creeks 
flowing through the dense forests. The tobacco is 
especially celebrated. Stock is owned to the extent 
of 31,000 buffalos, 30,000 head of cattle, 14,000 swine 
and 15,000 horses. Its towns are mostly small. 

The Province of Cavite is important because of its 
situation between Manila Province and Bay Lake. 
The Spanish military arsenal of the group of islands 
was located there. It has good timber lands. Imus, 



Philippine Islands. -yj 

eighteen miles from the capital, Cavite, has a popula- 
tion of 14,676; Indang has I3,334» and Bacoor 13,113. 

The Province of Ilocos Norte, in the northwest of 
Luzon, is one of the most industrious provinces of 
the island. Live stock is raised of a fine quality. 
There is a fairly good pike connecting with Manila 
and running through several provinces. Its climate 
is better adapted to foreigners than most others. 
Batac has a population of 17,625, and there are quite 
a number of towns of about 10,000. 

The Province of Laguna, lying east of the prov- 
inces of Manila and Cavite, is covered with moun- 
tains. Into one of the mountain valleys falls the cas- 
cade of Batacan, 500 feet high by 90 wide. Binan, 
41 miles from the capital, Santa Cruz, has a popula- 
tion of 19,786; Calamba has 11,476; Nagcarlang has 
12,976; San Pablo, 10 miles from Santa Cruz, has 
19,537 population. 

The Province of Nueva Ecija, to the north of Ma- 
nila, raises many cattle. The coast is dangerous for 
vessels. San Isidro is the capital, with a population 
of 7,056. Gapan, four miles from San Isidro, has a 
population of 20,216; Cabanatuan has 12,000; Aliaga 
has 17,000, and Rosales 11,519. 

The Province of Pampanga, to the north of Manila, 
raises sugar cane, rice, indigo and tobacco. There 
are sugar mills, and the manufacture of hats is high- 
ly developed. Lubao, four miles from Bacolor, the 
capital, has a population of 21,175; Mexico has 17,- 
099; Arayat and Candaba, 14,000 each, and there are 
several others from 8,000 to 10,000. 

The Province of Pangasinan is bounded on the west 
by the China Sea. A gold mine is worked in the 
mountains, and there are mines of iron, magnetite 



38 Our New Possessions. 

and sulphur in a pure state. San Carlos, 10 miles 
from Lingayen, the capital, has a population of 23,934 ; 
Manaoag has 17,500; Dagupan has 16,000; Tayug has 
19,612, and Urdaneta 16,588. 

The Province of Zambales is in the southern part 
of the island. The mountains are covered with tim- 
ber forests which are inhabited by fierce tribes of 
savages. Bolinao is 103 miles from Iba, the capital, 
and its municipal district is composed of 13 islands. 
Its population is 4,075. There is a meteorologic and 
semaphoric station, a submarine cable, and a dock- 
yard for coast vessels. 



On the Island of Panay. 

The Province of Antique is to the west of Iloilo 
province and has the Mindanao Sea on the south. 
The country is covered with great forests. The prin- 
cipal interests are stock raising and the manufacture 
of fabrics. Besides the capital, San Jose de Buena- 
vista, with its population of 5,621, there are BugasoPj 
with 14,104; Culasi, with 10,553; Pandan, with 13,737, 
and Sibalom, with 11,675, oi the larger towns. 

The Province of Capiz is separated from Iloilo on 
the south by a ridge of mountains. There are gold 
and copper mines, and tobacco, sugar and rice are 
raised. During the year three fairs are held. Batan, 
Calibo, Ibajay, Macato, Mambusao and Panay are 
the larger towns, with population ranging from 10,000 
to 15,000. 

The Province of Iloilo is generally level and irri- 
gated by numerous rivers. Tobacco, cacao, sugar 



Philippine Islands. 39 

cane, rice and maize are grown ; there is good pastur- 
age for cattle and horses and there are gold and other 
mines. The principal industry is the manufacture 
of fabrics, requiring over 30,000 looms. Janinay, 
three miles from the capital, Iloilo, has a population 
of 28,738; Miagas, 22,100; Cabatuan, 18,177; Leon, 
13,950; Pototan, 14,512; San Joaquin, 13,918; Oton, 
'^3,3^3', Santa Barbara, 13,000, and there are many 
other towns from eight to eleven thousand. 



On the Island of Cebu. 

The Province and Island of Cebu is the most im- 
portant province of the Visaya islands, on account of 
its central position, the nature of its ground and the 
industry of its inhabitants. Great mountain chains 
cross the island. Argao, 33 miles from the capital, 
Cebu, has a population of 34,050 ; Carcar has 30,300 ; 
Sibonga has 23,455; Dalaguete has 21,323; Talisay 
has 19,000; Barili has 20,914; San Nicholas has 
17,800, and there are scores of others between ten and 
fifteen thousand. 



On the Island of Mindanao. 

The island and adjacent islands have been divided, 
since i860, into eight districts. Mindanao possesses 
high and extended mountain chains which have not 
been entirely explored and which are densely wood- 
ed. It is inhabited throughout the interior by sav- 
ages. 



40 Our New Possessions. 

On the Calamianes Islands. 

The group is to the southeast of Manila and is 
composed of the islands of Busungan, Calamianes, 
Linapocan, Cuyo, Dumaran, Agutaya and the north- 
ern part of Paragua, ceded by the Sultan of Borneo 
to Spain at the end of the last century. They have an 
area of 340 square miles. The island of Cuyo, 10 
miles long by 4 wide, is thickly populated. It is sur- 
rounded by many small islets and is defended by an 
armed battery. In Agutaya is another fortress. Co- 
ron is sterile, but has a curious source of wealth in 
its edible birds' nests, for which the Chinese pay 
double their weight in silver. 

On the Island and Province of Leyte 

The coasts are high but with good natural harbors. 
Carigara is a place of some trade; steamers from 
Manila touch there about once a fortnight. Dagami, 
20 miles from the capital, Tacloban, has a population 
of 25,000; Tanauan has 18,509; Palo has 17,736; 
Borauen has 21,290, and there are other large towns. 



As to HISTORY. 

The islands were discovered by Magellan in 1521. 
In 1564 the group received the name of the Philip- 
pines in honor of Philip II. 

From 1521 until 1542 various expeditions were sent 
out from Spain to conquer the islanders, but were 



Philippine Islands. 



41 



unsuccessful. In 1564 Miguel de Legaspi took out a 
party of campaigners and succeeded in getting a 
foothold in Cebu. Later the colonists transferred 
their equipment to Luzon, and in 1581 the city of 
Manila was founded. 

This Spanish colony was fiercely assailed in follow- 
ing years by parties of Portuguese, Dutch and Chi- 
nese, but the Spanish held their ground. The E^ig- 
lish succeeded, however, in 1762, in taking Manila, 
which they held for a ransom of about five million 
dollars. This was among those debts which Spain 
could not pay, and the islands were finally released 
by the English. 

The Philippines entered upon a new existence un- 
der partial American control, beginning May i, when 
the Battle of Manila Bay was fought and the Span- 
ish fleet was destroyed by the American fleet under 
Dewey. The actual cession of the Philippines to the 
United States occurred on December 10, 1898, when 
the Treaty of Peace was signed at Paris, at 8:45 
o'clock p. M. 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



As to NUMBER and AREA. 

Hawaii 4,210 square miles 

Maui 760 

Oahu 600 

Kauai 590 

Molokai 270 

Lanai 150 

Niihau 97 

Twelve other small islands 63 



Total area of the 19 islands 6,740 square miles 

For comparison: 

Connecticut 4,750 square miles 

Rhode Island 1,054 

Greater New York City 359 " " 

Total of three 6,163 square miles 

New Jersey 7,815 square miles 

The Hawaiian Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean, 
about 2,100 miles southwest of San Francisco and 
about 3,440 miles from Yokohama. They are be- 
tween the i8th and 22d degrees north latitude and 
the 154th and i6ist west longitude. Their distance 



Hawaiian Islands. 43 

from the equator is about that of Cuba, but the cli- 
mate is modified and equalized by the northeast 
trade winds, which prevail nine months in the year, 
after sweeping over thousands of miles of ocean. 



As to POPULATION. 

By Islands. 

Oahu 40,205 inhabitants 

Hawaii 33,285 

Maui 17,726 '* 

Kauai 15,228 

Molokai 2,307 " 

Lanai 105 ** 

Niihau 164 " 

Total 109,020 inhabitants 

By Nationalities. 

Americans 4,000 

British 2,250 

Germans and other Europeans 2,000 

Hawaiians and mixed blood 38,020 

Japanese 25,000 

Chinese 21,500 

Portuguese 15,000 

Polynesians and miscellaneous 1,250 



Total 



109,020 



44 Our New Possessions. 

The American residents, although in so small a 
minority, practically control the affairs of the coun- 
try, and with the British and Germans constitute the 
controlling element in business. The Chinese and 
Japanese do not possess political power. The rela- 
tion they bear to the body politic is that of laborers. 

The native Hawaiians are a friendly, affectionate 
people, readily obedient to law. The Portuguese are 
largely immigrants from the islands and colonies of 
Portugal in the Atlantic. 



As to CLIMATE. 

By Range of Temperature. 

Hottest months August and September 

Highest temperature in each 88 degrees 

Lowest temperature in each 68 " 

General average in August 78 " 

General average in September 77 " 

Coldest month January 

Highest temperature in January 81 degrees 

Lowest temperature in January 55 " 

General average in January 70 " 

General average for the year 74 " 

General average for the last 7 years 74 " 



Hawaiian Islands. 45 

By Humidity. 

(Honolulu, 1898.) 

Inches. 

Rainfall for the wettest month (December) . . . 6.70 

dryest month (September)... .64 

^^ y^^^ 3375 

last seven years (average) . . . 38.80 

In the Matter of Health. 

The Health Board has charge of a dispensary on 
Oahu and one hospital on each of the other principal 
islands, and assists a second hospital on the island of 
Kauai. It assists also a maternity home in Honolulu. 
It has charge of an insane asylum in Honolulu. 

It has charge of the inspection and location of 
slaughter houses and inspection of animals to be 
slaughtered, the special inspection of fish, the inspec- 
tion of food supplies in general and inspection and re- 
moval of garbage. It has been called upon to pay 
considerable attention to tuberculosis in neat cattle, 
to sewerage and to filtration. 

It is obliged to examine into nuisances and causes 
of sickness of all kinds and to abate them, also to look 
after the sanitary condition of dwelling and lodging 
houses and to determine the number of people who 
may be lodged in the latter. 

It may enforce the improvement of land deleterious 
to the public health by reason of being low and wet or 
for other reasons. It controls licenses for the prac- 
tice of medicine. It alone may import opium. It 
keeps a record of births, deaths and marriages. 



46 Our New Possessions. 

The board has charge also of the examination and 
vaccination of all school children, which is required 
by law. It also exercises certain supervision of 
cemeteries. 



As to DISTANCES. 

(All reckonings being by statute miles to Honolulu.) 

From New York (via San Francisco) . . . 5,350 miles 

" San Francisco 2,100 

" Portland, Oregon 2,460 

" Victoria, B. C 2,360 

" Auckland, N. Z 3,810 

" Sydney, N. S. W 4,484 

" Yokohama 3,440 

" Hong Kong 4,893 

" Panama 4,620 



As to COST and TIME in GETTING THERE* 

Roundly speaking, it will cost from $175 to $225 to 
get from New York to Honolulu by first class, and 
from $125 to $150 by second class, and it will take 
from eleven to thirteen days' time. 

In detail these are the facts and figures: 



Hawaiian Islands. 47 

From New York to San Francisco. 

By way of the New York Central or Pennsyl- 
vania road, first-class ticket $81.75 

Second class 69.75 

To the first-class passage add sleeping-car 
berth 



20.50 



Total, first class $ 



102.23 



To the second-class passage add sleeping-car 
berth, New York to Chicago (no tourist 
berths), $5, and tourist berth from Chicago 
to San Francisco $11.00 



Total, second class $80, 



75 



By way of the Erie, Northwestern and Union 

Pacific, first-class ticket $78.75 

Second class 68.75 

To first-class passage add sleeping-car berths, 
all the way 20.50 



Total, first class 99.25 

To second-class passage add tourist berths, all 
the way ^ 00 



Total, second class $77, 



75 



By way of the Lehigh Valley road, the "Black 

Diamond Express," first-class ticket $79-75 

Second class 68.75 



48 Our Nezu Possessions. 

To these prices add the usual prices for sleepers. 

First-class sleeping berths, all the way $20.50 

Second-class tourist berths, all the way 9.00 

Total, first class 100.25 

Total, second class 7775 



From New York to Honolulu. 

Through tickets, first class, can be bought for. $143. 75 

Through tickets, second class, can be bought 

for 118.75 

To these prices add a war tax of $7 and prices of 

sleeping accommodations from New York to San 

Francisco. 
The time between here and San Francisco varies 

from 4 days and 5 hours to 6 days, according to the 

road and the character of the train. 



In the Matter of Meals En Route. 

Most of the dining cars and dining stations between 
New York and San Francisco serve meals on the 
American plan. 

Price per meal in dining car $1.00 

Price per meal in dining station 75 

Patronage of dining car or station restaurant is, of 
course, optional. 

Three meals daily in dining car, six days' trip. .$18.00 
Three meals daily in dining stations, six days' 
trip 13.50 



Hawaiian Islands. 49 

This expense can be lessened considerably by the 
economy of a lunch basket. 

Steamship rates on both Pacific and Atlantic lines 
include the cost of meals. 



From St. Louis to San Francisco. 

By the "Frisco Line." 

First-class ticket, by' extreme Southern or 

Santa Fe route $57-50 

Sleeper 1450 

Tourist class, over either routes 47-50 

Sleeper 6.00 

The tourist, or second-class travel, is well recom- 
mended. The cars are operated by the Pullman 
Company and a porter is in attendance. 



From New Orleans to San Francisco. 

By the Southern Pacific. 

First class $57-50 

Sleeper 13.00 

Second class 47-50 

Sleeper 5.00 

First class, with stop-over privileges, good for 
thirty days 67.50 

Sleeper berths for this ticket are bought from point 
to point. 



so Our New Possessions. 

From San Francisco to Honolulu. 

Three lines, the Oceanic Steamship Company, the 
Oriental and Occidental Steamship Company and the 
Pacific Mail, ply between these ports. 

One steamer of the Oceanic Line, the Australia, 
makes Honolulu her destination. The other two 
steamers of the same line touch there and go on to 
Samoa and Australia. 

The steamers of the other two lines touch at Hono- 
lulu and go on to Japan and China. 

The Oceanic Steamship Company's rates are $75 
cabin and $25 steerage. The other two lines charge 
$100 and $30, respectively. 

Time from San Francisco to Honolulu, from six to 
seven days. 

From Northwestern Ports. 

The Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steamship 
Company's steamers, sailing from Victoria and Van- 
couver, stop at Honolulu on their way to Australia 
and New Zealand. 

Fine sailing vessels make regular trips between 
Port Townsend and San Francisco and Honolulu, 
with passenger accommodations. The price is $40 
for cabin passage. 

From Victoria and Vancouver to Honolulu, 

first cabin, steamer $75-00 

Second cabin 25.00 

Cabin passage by sailing vessel from San 
Francisco 40.00 



Hawaiian Islands. 51 

Steerage $25.00 

From Hong Kong or Tokio to Honolulu, 

cabin passage, steamer 250.00 

There are two steamers every four weeks, both to 
and from Vancouver, by way of the Canadian-Aus- 
tralian line. 

Freight Rates. 

The rates of freight from San Francisco to Hono- 
lulu are : For steamers, $5 per ton and 5 per cent, 
primage; sailing vessels, $3 per ton and 5 per cent, 
primage. 

The rates from Atlantic ports range from $5 to $7 
per ton, with 5 per cent, primage. 

The duration of the voyage between New York and 
Honolulu has been from 89 to 134 days. 



As to MAIL SERVICE. 

By postal route, from New York to San 
Francisco, letters take 5 days 

By postal route, from San Francisco to 
Honolulu, letters take 7 days 

Total from New York to Honolulu 12 days 

There is a regular postal system in Hawaii. 

On the arrival of a steamer at Honolulu the mail is 
sent to the different islands and into the interior by 
mail carriers. 

The Hawaiian Islands belong to the Postal Union. 



52 Our New Possessions. 

Money orders can be obtained on the United States, 
Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Norway and Swe- 
den, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, Hong 
Kong and Australia. 

Rates of Postage. 

Letters to any part of the islands, 2 cents each half 
ounce. 

Letters to United States, Canada, Mexico and colo- 
nies, 5 cents each half ounce. 

Postal cards to same, 2 cents. 

Parcels post — United States, per pound, 12 cents. 



As to TRADE. 

Exports. 

Articles sent to the Pacific ports of the United 
States for the six months ended June 30, 1897: 

Value. 

Sugar, 230,350,296 pounds $6,698,595.37 

Rice, 2,168,600 pounds 87,378.30 

Coffee, 218,489 pounds 31,756.52 

Bananas, 43,457 bunches 43,334-50 

Wool, 10,024 pounds 851.44 

Hides, 10,863 pieces 40,119.39 

Pineapples, 64,874 pieces 7,429.70 

Other exports, including goat skins, 
sheep skins, molasses, betel leaves, taro 
flour, watermelons, canned fruits, 
honey, etc 28,442.28 

Total $6,937,907.50 



Hawaiian Islands. S3 

Articles sent to the Atlantic ports of the United 
States for the six months ended June so, iSgy: 

Value. 

Sugar, 145,612,711 pounds $4,322,757.37 

Sugar, foreign 41.00 

Total $4,322,798.37 



In the Matter of Imports. 
For the six months ended June 30, 1897. 

Whence Imported, Value. 

United States $3,058,380.92 

Great Britain 351,381.52 

Germany 52,878.70 

China 102,273.91 

Japan 159,555-45 

Australia and New Zealand 75,975-73 

Canada 16,179.93 

Pacific Islands 3,003.16 

France 18,385.70 

Other countries 70,474.23 

Total $3,908,489.25 

In the Matter of Spirituous Liquors. 

All kinds of liquors withdrawn from bond during 
first half of 1897 362,243 gallons 

This would average for each man, woman and child 
on the islands 31^ gallons 



54 Our New Possessions. 

Of the whole, Japanese sake amounted to 

151,732 gallons 
This, if consumed wholly by the Japanese, would 

average for each man, woman and child. 6]E/2 gallons 
Of the whole, Chinese sam shoo amounted to 

9,230 gallons 
This would be, per capita 316 pints 

Considering the Chinese as confining their drinking 
to their native liquor, the figures would indicate them 
to be the most temperate people of the islands. 
California, in the time specified, contributed wine to 

the extent of 84,549 gallons 



Merchant Marine. 

Fifty-eight vessels fly the Hawaiian flag, consisting 
of 27 steamers, 3 ships, 8 barks, 18 schooners and 2 
sloops. 

Their aggregate tonnage is 30,382. 

Thirty-one of the vessels were built in the United 
States. 

One hundred and eighty-one vessels entered the 
port of Honolulu during the first six months of 

1897. 

The tonnage of these aggregated 251,992 tons. 

The United States, as usual, led all other countries, 
both in number of vessels — iii — and amount of ton- 
nage — 127,018. 

One hundred and two vessels, with an aggregate 
tonnage of 126,419, were from American ports. 

The commerce of the islands is decidedly with the 
United States. 



Hawaiian Islands. 55 

As to RAILROADS and TRAVEL. 

There are three railroads on the islands. 

The principal road is the Oahu Railway and Land 
Company Line, which runs from Honolulu to Wai- 
anae, the total length, including sidings, being 38.5 
miles. It was opened July i, 1890. In 1897 the road 
carried 85,596 passengers, earning $30,993.50; and 
66,430.49 tons of freight, earning $69,752.76; total 
earnings, $100,746.26. 

The equipment consists of 5 locomotives, 14 pas- 
senger coaches, and 132 freight cars. The road is 
bonded for $2,000,000, at 6 per cent., with $700,000 
worth of stock, which is to be increased to $1,500,000. 

The Kahului Railroad, on the island of Maui, is 13 
miles long. 

The Hawaiian Railroad, on the island of Hawaii, 
is about 20 miles long. 

They are used principally for carrying plantation 
products for shipment. 



As to BUSINESS CHANCES. 

The reader is especially referred to the Honolulu 
Chamber of Commerce. The following is from a re- 
port by Sanford B. Dole, dated Honolulu, August 30, 
1898: 

"Coffee raising is comparatively a new enterprise 
and there are opportunities for its culture on a much 
larger scale than at present. Four or five years from 
transplanting are required for a coffee tree to reach 
its full bearing capacity. 



56 Our New Possessions. 

"On account of the increasing demand for coffee 
lands and the fact that this enterprise can be profit- 
ably carried on in small holdings, the Government has 
devoted its energies, under the settlement provisions 
of its land legislation, mainly to the opening of coffee 
lands to settlement in small farms within lOO acres in 
extent, except in the Olaa coffee region, where pio- 
neer holders of original crown leases were allowed to 
acquire, upon the basis of such leases, a larger area. 

"These lands have been eagerly taken up by actual 
settlers, and are generally prosperous. In the last 
biennial period 422 holdings, not including the Olaa 
lots, were taken up, including an aggregate area of 
20,234 acres and worth, at the moderate Government 
appraisement, $118,853, unimproved value. 

"The area of good coffee land as yet unoccupied is 
comparatively large. A large part, however, of the 
public lands of this class is held under leases to pri- 
vate parties. The expiration of the terms of these 
leases will, from time to time, augment materially the 
area under the control of the Government suitable 
for settlement purposes. 

"The banana is a hardy plant without insect ene- 
mies and is cultivated largely with irrigation. It re- 
quires a fertile soil and thorough cultivation and can 
be raised from the seashore nearly up to the frost 
line. The yield is large and the crop, as raised for 
export, a profitable one. 

"Under free trade with the main land the cultiva- 
tion of pineapples, avocado pears and tobacco and the 
manufacture of taro flour and jams and jellies and 
the canning of fruit will undoubtedly become profit- 
able. Other fruits and some vegetables will be profit- 
ably raised for the Pacific coast markets. 



Hawaiian Islands. 57 

"Indian corn, Irish and sweet potatoes and garden 
vegetables are successfully and profitably raised for 
the home demand. 

"The raising of live stock has, as a rule, been car- 
ried on in a haphazard way, relying upon the natural 
growth of native grasses for pasturage, without other 
feeding. While considerable attention has been paid 
to the improvement of all kinds of stock by the intro- 
duction of good blood, the condition and quality of 
live stock at the islands on the whole is not very 
creditable to the country ; yet the business is generally 
profitable." 

As will be seen by reference to the list of exports, 
the production of sugar in Hawaii is enormous, but 
the interest is so controlled by trusts that it can 
scarcely be called a "business chance." 



As to COST of LIVING and WAGES PAID. 

Price of Provisions. 

Fresh Hawaiian butter, from 25 to 50 cents per 
pound. 

Hams, from 16H to 30 cents per pound. 

Bacon, from 163^ to 20 cents per pound. 

Cheese, from 20 to 35 cents per pound. 

Family pork, from 15 to 18 cents per pound. 

Corned beef, 7 cents per pound. 

Fresh meat, from 6 to 15 cents per pound. 

Loin of porterhouse steaks, from 6 to 15 cents per 
pound. 



58 Our New Possessions. 

Tinned fruits, per dozen, from $1.75 to $2.25. 
Golden Gate flour, per 100 pounds, $2.50. 
Lower grades, $2.20. 

Hawaiian rice, $3.25 to $5 per 100 pounds. 
Hawaiian bananas, per bunch, 25 to 55 cents. 
Potatoes, from i to 2 cents per pound. 
Eggs, per dozen, 25 to 50 cents. 
Rolled oats, per case, $5.50. 

Ice, in small quantities, iH cents; 50 pounds and 
over, I cent per pound. 



Hotel Rates. 

The principal hotels in Honolulu are the Hawaiian 
and the Arlington. 

Board, with room, at either is from $3 to $5 a day. 

Besides these, there are private boarding houses, 
where the rates are from $10 a week up. 

In Hilo the rates are somewhat less and the ac- 
commodations more limited. 



Carriage Fares. 

From the steamer to the hotels, for either i or 

2 persons $0.25 

From the steamer to the hotels, for each addi- 
tional person 10 

Carriage fare, per hour, i passenger 1.50 

" " 2 " 2.00 

" " 3 " 2.50 

" " " " 4 " 3.00 



Hawaiian Islands. 59 

To the Pali, i passenger, each way $300 

" " "2 " " " 4.00 

'* " ** -J ** it t( .... t^.OO 

Saddle horses cost a dollar an hour. 
Bicycles can be hired at prices a little higher than 
in the East. 



Wages Paid. 

Cooks, Chinese and Japanese, $3 to $6 per week, 
with board and room. 

Nurses and house servants, $8 to $12 per month, 
with board and room. 

Gardeners or yard men, $8 to $12 per month, with 
board and room. 

Sewing women, $1 per day and one meal. 

Engineers on plantations, from $125 to $175 per 
month, house and firewood furnished. 

Sugar boilers, $125 to $175 per month, house and 
firewood furnished. 

Blacksmiths, plantation, $50 to $100 per month, 
house and firewood furnished. 

Carpenters, plantation, $50 to $100 per month, 
house and firewood furnished. 

Locomotive drivers, $40 to $75 per month, room 
and board furnished. 

Head overseers, or head lunas, $100 to $150. 

Under overseers, or lunas, $30 to $50, with room 
and board. 

Bookkeepers, plantation, $100 to $175, house and 
firewood furnished. 

Teamsters, white, $30 to $40, with room and board. 



6o Our Neiv Possessions. 

Hawaiians, $25 to $30, with room ; no board. 

Field labor, Portuguese and Hawaiian, $16 to $18 
per month ; no board. 

Field labor, Chinese and Japanese, $12.50 to $15 per 
month ; no board. 

Bricklayers and masons, $5 to $6 per day. 

Carpenters, $2.50 to $5. 

Machinists. $3 to $5. 

Painters, $2 to $5 per day. 



As to GOVERNMENT and LAWS. 

The following scheme of government for the Terri- 
tory of Hawaii was provided for in a bill before Con- 
gress prepared by the Hawaiian Commission and sub- 
mitted by the President on December 6, 1898 : 

The islands to be known as the Territory of Ha- 
waii, the capital of the Territorial Government being 
at Honolulu. 

All white persons, including Portuguese, and per- 
sons of African descent, and all persons descended 
from the Hawaiian race who were citizens of the 
Republic of Hawaii immediately prior to the transfer 
of the sovereignty thereof to the United States, are 
declared to be citizens of the United States. 

The President of the United States is to appoint a 
Governor, a Secretary of the Territory, United States 
District Judge, United States District Attorney and 
a United States Marshal. 

An Attorney General, a Treasurer, Superintendent 
of Public Works, Superintendent of Public Instruc- 



Hawaiian Islands. 6i 

tion, Auditor, Deputy Auditor, Surveyor, and a Chief 
Sheriff, in place of the Marshal of the Republic, are, 
by the bill^ to be appointed by the Governor. 

The laws of Hawaii, not inconsistent with the Con- 
stitution or laws of the United States or the pro- 
visions of this act, are to continue in force, subject 
to repeal or amendment by the Legislature of Hawaii 
or the United States. 

The offices of President, Minister of Foreign Af- 
fairs, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Finance, 
Minister of Public Instruction, Auditor-General, 
Deputy Auditor-General, Surveyor-General, Marshal 
and Deputy Marshal of the Republic of Hawaii are 
abolished. 

The Legislature of the Territory shall consist of 
two houses, called the Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives, The Senate to be composed of fifteen 
members, and the House of thirty memb'ers. 

The Supreme Court is to be the sole judge of the 
legality of an election to a seat in either house. A 
general election is to be held on the Tuesday next 
after the first Monday in November, 1899, and bien- 
nially thereafter. 

No member of the Legislature shall be eligible to 
any Government office during his term. No officer, 
employe, notary public or agent of the Territory is 
eligible to election to the Legislature. 

The salary of each member is $400 and 10 cents a 
mile traveling expenses, and $200 for each extra 
session. 

A Senator must be a male citizen of the United 
States ; be 30 years old or over ; have lived in the 
Hawaiian Islands not less than three years ; have in 
his own right property in the Territory of the value 



62 Our New Possessions. 

of not less than $2,000, or else have been in receipt 
of a money income of not less than $1,000 during the 
year immediately preceding the date of election. 

A Representative must have attained the age of 25 
years; be a male citizen; have lived in the islands not 
less than three years ; must own not less than $500 
worth of property, or have received a money income 
of not less than $250. 

Sessions of the Legislature are to be not longer 
than sixty days. 

A voter for Representatives must be a male citizen 
of the United States ; have resided in the Territory 
not less than one year; have attained the age of 
21 years ; have registered ; have paid all taxes due by 
him to the Government ; and be able understandingly 
to speak, read, and write the English or Hawaiian 
language. 

In order to be qualified to vote for Senators a per- 
son must possess all the qualifications and be subject 
to all the conditions required by this act of voters for 
Representatives, and, in addition thereto, he shall own 
and be possessed in his own right of real property in 
the Territory of the value of not less than one thou- 
sand dollars, and upon which legal taxes shall have 
been paid on that valuation for the year next preced- 
ing the one in which such person offers to register; 
or shall have actually received a money income of not 
less than six hundred dollars during the year next 
preceding the first day of April next preceding the 
date of each registration. 

The Governor of the Territory is authorized to ap- 
point registration boards. 

The judicial power of the Territory to be vested 
in one Supreme Court and in such inferior courts as 



Hawaiian Islands. 63 

the Legislature may from time to time establish. The 
Supreme Court to consist of a chief justice and not 
less than two associate justices. 

Voters qualified to vote for members of the House 
of Representatives may elect a delegate to the House 
of Representatives of the United States to serve dur- 
ing each Congress. 

In the Matter of Courts. 

(Subject to revision under proposed Territorial 

Law.) 

There are three sets of courts— a supreme court, 
superior courts of record, and local courts. 

There is the Supreme Court. 

There are five Circuit Courts. 

There are twenty-nine District Courts. 

The chief justice and associate justices are all of 
American descent and are graduates of American 
colleges and law schools. The circuit judges com- 
prise two Americans, one Englishman, one Portu- 
guese and one Hawaiian. The district judges are 
mostly Hawaiians. 

The Supreme Court law library contains over 5,000 
volumes. 

In the Matter of Its Present Police System. 

The police officers of the islands consist of a mar- 
shal, a deputy marshal, three sheriffs, twenty-three 
deputies, 196 officers, besides prison officers and 
guards. 



64 Our New Possessions. 

The marshal is the chief of police, and is appointed 
by the Attorney-General, with the approval of the 
President, (The bill before Congress will abolish 
the offices of marshal and deputy marshal, substi- 
tuting for the marshal a chief sheriff, to be appointed 
by the Governor of the Territory, who, himself, suc- 
ceeds to the duties of the President of the Republic.) 

On three — the main islands — there is a chief of 
police of the island, called sheriff, appointed by the 
marshal. 

In each district of the seven islands there is a 
deputy sheriff. 



As to INSTITUTIONS. 

In the Matter of Schools. 

The English language is the medium of instruction. 

Total number of pupils ( 1898) 14,522 

Attending public schools 10,568 

Attending private schools 3,954 

Number of public schools 132 

Number of private schools 60 

Number of teachers in the public schools 298 

Number of teachers in private schools 209 

[Of all the teachers 49.9 per cent, are Americans.] 

The Principal Schools. 

Oahu College, in the suburbs of Honolulu, has 
large, modern buildings ; high school course, classical 



Hawaiian Islands. 65 

course, sciences, modern languages, music, drawing, 
etc. ; with an endowment of $285,000. 

Honolulu High School occupies private residence, 
formerly the palace of the Princess Ruth; course of 
instruction, high. 

Lahainaluna Seminary, on Maui, now a Govern- 
ment school; instruction in agriculture, carpentry, 
printing and mechanical drawing. 

Normal School at Honolulu, with a practice school 
attached ; has an enrollment of fifty pupils, with three 
teachers. 

St. Louis College, boarding and day school; has 
over 500 pupils. 
lolani College, at Honolulu, an academy for boys. 

Average Monthly Salary of Male Teachers. 

In the United States $47-37 

In Hawaii 74-55 

Of Female Teachers. 

In the United States $40.24 

In Hawaii 55 . 18 

Of all Teachers. 

In the United States $42.26 

In Hawaii ^^ jg 

Cost of Education Per Pupil. 

In the United States $18.92 

In Hawaii 21 17 

Average Number of School Days Per Year. 

In the United States 140 

In Hawaii 200 



66 Our New Possessions. 

In the Matter of Papers. 

In Honolulu. 
Dallies: 

Pacific Commercial Advertiser English 

Daily Bulletin English 

Hawaiian Star English 

Independent English 

Aloha Aina Native 

Ka Loea Kalaiaina Native 

Hawaiian Shimpo Japanese 

Semi-weeklies : 

Hawaiian Gazette English 

Shim Nipon Japanese 

Yamato Shimbun Japanese 

Weeklies: 

Weekly Hawaiian Star English 

The Kuokoa Native 

O Luro Portuguese 

O Directo Portuguese 

Hawaiian Chinese News Chinese 

Chinese Times Chinese 

Chinese Chronicle Chinese 

Ka Makaainana .Native 



In Hilo. 
Weeklies : 

The Hilo Tribune English 

Hawaii Herald EngHsh 



Hawaiian Islands. 67 

In the Matter of Churches. 

In Honolulu. 

Central Union Church ; Congregational. 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The Christian Church. 
The Christian Chinese Church. 
The Salvation Army. 
St. Andrew's Cathedral; Episcopal. 
Roman Catholic Church. 
Protestant Mission ; Portuguese. 
Japanese Union Church; connected with the Ha- 
waiian Board of Missions. 
Japanese Church. 

Kawaihao Church, Congregational ; native. 
Kaumahapili Church, Congregational; native. 



As to CITIES. 

City life in the Hawaiian Islands is practically con- 
fined to Honolulu, the capital. It is situated on the 
island of Oahu, and has a population of about 20,000 
people. The city straggles along the water front, on 
each side of its business centre, from Kalihi to Dia- 
mond Head, for about seven miles. For a mile back 
from the sea front the land is but slightly raised above 
the sea level. Then, however, comes a rapid rise 
from hills to mountains, the whole city lying at the 
foot and in the valleys of a mountain range which 
rises to a height of 3,000 feet. A fringe of cocoanut 
trees along the sea front adds a tropical appearance 



68 Our New Possessions. 

to the city, while the houses are mostly hidden from 
view by dense foliage. 

Honol lu is a modernized city, with electric lights, 
telephones, markets, newspapers and many new 
buildings of stone. The Executive Building, which 
cost $500,000, is built of stone, situated in a ten-acre 
park, beautified with trees and shrubbery. 

There is a well equipped opera house, completed in 
1896, which has a seating capacity of between twelve 
and fifteen hundred. Public parks are numerous, the 
public buildings are attractive, and the private resi- 
dences, with wide verandas, look out upon bright 
gardens and lawns adorned with vines and palms. 

The hills back of the city are especially adapted 
for fine residences, having an altitude of from 100 to 
1,100 feet above the sea. 

The hotels are built of stone and are well managed. 

The principal streets are Nuuana Avenue (for resi- 
dences) and King Street (for business). 

There is a public library and a Y. M. C. A. build- 
ing. 



As to GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

A group of islands exporting annually over sixteen 
million dollars' worth of products; having a mild, 
equable climate; possessing excellent schools and a 
good judiciary; destined to play an important part in 
the growth of commerce on the Pacific, bearing im- 
portant relations to the great trans-Siberian Railway 
and the inevitable Nicaragua canal — this group, the 



Hawaiian Islands. 6g 

islands of Hawaii, as a new possession of the United 
States, must interest every American citizen. 

A maximum temperature of 88 degrees, a minimum 
of 55, an average temperature of 74 degrees for the 
last seven years — such is the consistently delightful 
climate of Hawaii. There is never any frost nor 
snow, except upon the highest mountains. 

Kauai, the most northwesterly of the group, has 
an area of about 590 square miles, and is the most 
fertile of the islands in proportion to its size. It 
has rich, broad valleys, lying between mountain 
ranges, largely productive of sugar, but producing 
also coffee and rice. 

Oahu is the most thickly populated of the islands, 
having over 40,000 inhabitants. There is situated 
Honolulu, the capital and largest city in the archi- 
pelago. This island is principally devoted to pastur- 
age and agriculture, but the sugar industry is a grow- 
ing one, owing to the development of the artesian 
water supply. 

The most profitable sugar lands known are on the 
island of Maui. For the purpose of sugar irrigation 
6,000,000 gallons of artesian water are pumped daily 
to a height of 400 feet. 

Hawaii, from which the group takes its name, is 
the largest of the islands. It contains nearly 2,500,000 
acres of land and has a population of nearly 34,000. 
Its principal town is Hilo. 

The Hawaiian islands are destined to become a 
great cable centre. They will ultimately be a meet- 
ing place for cables from all ports of the great cir- 
cuit of our coasts, from the Asiatic coasts as far 
south as Hong Kong, from the South Pacific and 
from the South American coast. 



70 Our New Possessions. 

The five larger islands of the group are separated 
by three channels that aggregate about ii8 miles in 
width. The new development of the islands will de- 
mand cable communication between them all. 

Hawaii takes just pride in her schools. The law 
requires that every child between the ages of six and 
fifteen years, inclusive, shall attend either a public or 
a private school, in which the English language is 
the medium of instruction. Attendance is enforced 
by means of truant officers or school police. 

The Republic in its Constitution forbade any aid 
from the public treasury to any sectarian, denomina- 
tional or private school, and by the new school law 
of 1896 no priest or minister of religion is eligible to 
the office of Minister of Public Instruction or to be- 
come a member of the Board of Education. Clergy- 
men may be teachers or instructors in Government 
schools, but no distinctively religious teaching is per- 
mitted. 

The school system and its methods are peculiarly 
American, 

It is an interesting fact that over one-eighth of the 
expenditures of the Hawaiian Government have been 
for the support of the public schools. 

The Government has devoted earnest efforts to- 
ward the protection of the public health. A strict 
quarantine is maintained at points where ships from 
infected ports might call. Ordinarily malarial fevers 
are rare, though there has been some typhoid among 
the United States troops recently stationed at Hono- 
lulu. 

The Hawaiian Islands maintain a prison system, 
corresponding mainly to the State prisons of the 
United States. 



Hawaiian Islands. "ji 

In the Matter of Harbors. 

In the island of Oahu lies the key to the com- 
merce of China, Japan and Australia. This is the 
magnificent Pearl Harbor, a few miles from Hono- 
lulu. It contains eight square miles of water and is 
accessible from the sea by a passage a third of a mile 
in width. The depth of water in this harbor is from 
five to ten fathoms. The harbor is many times larger 
than that of Honolulu, and possesses unequaled fa- 
cilities for the development of an Eastern commerce. 

It is expected that by a small appropriation a coral 
reef, which bars the entrance from the ocean for 
large vessels, will be removed by the Government of 
the United States, whereupon this will furnish the 
best harbor on the Pacific. 



In the Matter of Mountains. 

The great volcano of Haleakalau, the largest ex- 
tinct volcano in the world, is on Maui, the old lava 
from which has become decomposed and fit for culti- 
vation. The monster crater is twenty miles in cir- 
cumference and half a mile deep. 

There are three great mountains on Hawaii, Mauna 
Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai. The first two are 
nearly 14,000 feet high, the other 8,000. Upon Mauno 
Loa are two great volcanoes — Kilauea, upon the side 
of the mountain, at an elevation of 4,000 feet, and 
Momuaweoweo, at the top, or at about 13,500 feet 
elevation. These two volcanoes are still alive. 

The slopes of these mountains comprise most of 
the agricultural land upon this island. It is covered 



72 Our New Possessions. 

with a tangle of vegetation, but is susceptible of cul- 
tivation after this is cleared. There are great fields 
of sugar cane on this island, the best of which yield 
from five to eight tons of sugar an acre. 



As to SCENIC INTEREST. 

The Pali Road, at the head of Nuuana Valley, six 
miles from the postoffice in Honolulu, is one of the 
wonders of the islands. The road leads out from the 
city, up a gradual ascent to the height of about 1,200 
feet. After passing through a beautiful residence 
section, with finely kept grounds, the scenery on 
either hand becomes that of the mountain and wilder- 
ness. 

The road terminates at a precipice, famed in the 
war annals of Hawaii as that over which the great 
chief, Kamehameha, drove his foes. The table-land, 
1,200 feet beneath, stretches away to the Pacific, far 
in the distance, while at the sides there rise up lofty 
peaks high above the Pali Road. 

The excursion can be made by carriage or saddle- 
horse. 

The Punch Bowl, the crater of an extinct volcano, 
lies just back of the city, about 500 feet above the 
sea, and is a favorite place of resort. 

Mount Tantalus, a peak at the rear of the Punch 
Bowl, can be climbed by a picturesque road through 
groves of trees, while from the summit, at an alti- 
tude of about 2,000 feet, one of the most magnifi- 
cent views on the islands can be obtained. 

The favorite bathing resort is at Waikiki, where 



Hawaiian Islands. 73 

there are excellent bath-houses. The water is warm 
and the beach of a fine sand. The place is popular 
with moonlight bathing parties. 

Bicycling is growing more and more popular and 
the enthusiast recognizes almost every make of 
American and English wheels. 

Pearl Harbor is reached by trains of the Oahu 
Railway and Land Company, which leave the station 
at Leleo three times daily. 

The volcano of Kilauea, on the island of Hawaii, 
generally reached by way of Hilo, is undoubtedly 
Hawaii's greatest natural wonder. The steamer 
Kinau leaves Honolulu and arrives at Hilo on the 
evening of the second day out. After a night's rest 
at the hotel the start is made in the morning. The 
road to the volcano was constructed by the Hawaiian 
Government at a cost of $100,000. The ascent is 
4,100 feet, and may be made either on horseback or 
in carriages. At about the middle of the afternoon 
the Volcano Hotel, a comfortable inn, is reached. 

The crater of Kilauea is about three miles in dia- 
meter. In the daytime it has the appearance of a 
great pit of black pitch, vague with the rising of 
clouds of smoke or steam. The active lake of Ha-le- 
mau-mau is in the southern part of the crater, and 
at night lights up the whole with shooting flames of 
greater or less brilliancy, according to the volcano's 
activity. 



As to HISTORY* 

The Hawaiian, or Sandwich Islands, so far as au- 
thenticated history goes, were discovered by Captain 



74 Our New Possessions. 

Cook in 1778. The Spaniards assert a previous dis- 
covery, but have succeeded very poorly in convinc- 
ing anybody of the vaHdity of their claim. The na- 
tives treated Captain Cook with great kindness until 
the following year, when he met his death at their 
hands. 

At the time of Captain Cook's discovery each of 
the principal islands had its chief. One of them was 
named Kamehameha. He conceived the idea of con- 
quering all the other chiefs, and when Vancouver 
visited the islands, in 1792, Chief Kamehameha per- 
suaded him to lay down the keel of a vessel for him. 
Following this model, the chief increased his fleet to 
some twenty vessels, introduced firearms among his 
people, and then made war on the other islands, be- 
coming monarch of the entire group. 

His son, Kamehameha H., succeeded him. He did 
away with idolatry. Then came Kamehameha HI., 
in whose reign (1844) the integrity of the kingdom 
was recognized by the United States, France and 
Great Britain. The succeeding monarchs were Kame- 
hameha IV., Kamehameha V., Lunalilo, Kalakua, 
and, in 1891, Queen Liliuokalani. 

Queen Liliuokalani was opposed to the progressive 
element in the islands and, in January, 1893, a quar- 
rel arose between her and her cabinet regarding the 
new constitution. A Committee of Safety was speed- 
ily formed, which summarily deposed the queen, im- 
prisoned her, overthrew the government and substi- 
tuted a provisional one. 

The movement could hardly have been accom- 
plished without bloodshed had it not received the 
bristling moral support of the American forces there. 
United States Minister Stevens landing the marines 



Hawaiian Islands. 75 

from the United States war vessels then in Honolulu 
harbor for the protection of American interests. 

A republic was proclaimed on July 4, 1894, with 
Sanford B. Dole as President, and a formal declara- 
tion of desire to become annexed to the United States 
was made. 

On June 11, 1898, the Committee on Foreign Af- 
fairs of the House of Representatives reported a 
joint resolution for the annexation of Hawaii. 

On June 15 the House of Representatives passed 
the joint resolution by a vote of 209 to 91 — not voting, 
49 — the opposition being made up almost entirely of 
Democrats. 

On July 6 the Senate passed the joint resolution, 
by a vote of 42 to 21. Six Democrats voted in 
affirmative, and 17 Democrats, i Populist, i Republi- 
can, I Silver Republican and I Silverite in the nega- 
tive. There were twelve pairs. 

The President at once approved. He appointed the 
following commissioners to consider the reciprocal 
relations of the two countries : President Sanford 
Dole, of Hawaii ; Justice Frear, of the Hawaiian Su- 
preme Court ; Senator Morgan, of Alabama ; Senator 
Cullom, of Illinois, and Representative Hitt, of Illi- 
nois, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign 
Affairs. 



As to LEPERS. 

The subject of leprosy as one of the unfortunate 
institutions of Hawaii has been generally treated with 
such picturesque license that the following official 
facts will be found valuable : 



^6 Our New Possessions. 

Where They Live. 

Isolated in a settlement on the north side of the 
island of Molokai. 

It is a peninsula containing about 5,000 acres of 
land. 

It is separated from the world by a stormy ocean 
on the north and a range of almost impassable moun- 
tains on the south. 

Their number in 1897 was : 

Hawaiians 984 

Half-castes 62 

Chinese 2^ 

Americans 5 

British 4 

Germans 4 

Portuguese 6 

Russians i 

South Sea Islanders 2 

Total 1,100 



How They Live. 

In two villages, Kalaupapa and Kalawao, on oppo- 
site sides of the peninsula. 

These contain 716 buildings in all. 

They include court house, jail, school houses, of- 
fices, warehouses, work shops, hospitals, dormitories, 
etc. 

At Kalawao there is a Roman Catholic home for 
boys. 



Hawaiian Islands. 77 

At Kalaupapa there is a similar home for girls. 

There are a Young Men's Christian Association, 
Protestant churches, Roman Catholic and Mormon 
churches. 

There is a general store. 

There are bands in each town, the members of 
which are lepers. 

The lepers may build houses and cultivate land for 
their own use. 

They constitute a little world by itself, conducted 
systematically. 



How THE Spread of Leprosy is Prevented. 

Visitors are not allowed, except by special per- 
mission. 

None can leave the settlement except by special 
arrangement. 

Transportation of lepers is under the care of a 
board of inspection. 

Money only leaves the settlement after it is puri- 
fied, and then on rare occasions. Outside business 
is transacted mostly by postal orders. 

Great cleanliness is enforced at the settlement. 

The disease is not as contagious as has been popu- 
larly supposed. 



Jl^ 



AND ADJACENT ISLES. 



As to AREA. 

Length (of Cuba) 730 miles. 

Average breadth 80 " 

Area 43, 319 square miles. 

Coast line, over all 2,200 miles. 

Coast line, including all indenta- 
tions 7,000 " 

For comparison: 
Area of Pennsylvania 45,215 square miles. 

Cuba is nearly seven times as long as Long Island, 
and would stretch from New York city to Cincinnati. 

The Isle of Pines, which is the only one of Cuba's 
island satellites of any importance, is 45 miles from 
east to west and SZ miles from north to south. A de- 
scription of the island will be found at the end of this 
division of the volume. 

Though the area of Cuba is 43,319 square miles, its 
habitable area can only be estimated at 32,500 square 
miles ; the balance of 10,819 square miles being made 
up of desert sand keys that skirt the island impass- 
able swamps that line its south coast, and the rugged 
and unexplored uplands of its eastern extremity. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 79 

As to POPULATION. 

Of the island (estimated, 1894) 1,631,687 

Of the aboriginal inhabitants none survived to see 
the seventeenth century. The present population 
may be divided into five classes : 

1. Natives of Spain — "Peninsulares." 

2. Cubans of Spanish descent — "Insulares." 

3. Other white persons. 

4. Persons wholly or in part of the Afriean race. 

5. Eastern Asiatics. 

The number of white persons of other blood than 
Spanish is trifling, as is also the number of coolies 
or Asiatic laborers, imported from the Philippines. 
Thus reckoning the first three classes together and 
excluding the fifth entirely, there will be this division 
of whites of all classes and negroes of all shades — 70 
per cent, whites and 30 per cent, negroes. 

For comparison: 

The ratio of the races in the city of Washington 
according to the census of 1890 was 67 per cent, 
whites and 33 per cent, negroes. 

By Provinces. 

Pinar del Rio 225,891 

Havana 451,928 

Matanzas 259,578 

Santa Clara 354,122 

Puerto Principe 67,789 

Santiago de Cuba 272,379 



8o Our New Possessions. 

Urban population. 889,689 

Rustic population 741.998 



By Cities. 

Cuba has thirteen cities whose population exceeds 
10,000. They are these : 

Havana (city proper) 200,448 

With suburbs (Vedado, Chorrera, Marianao, 
Puentes Gordes, La Cienaga, El Principe 

Tulipan, El Cerro, Regla and Cojunar) 300,000 

Matanzas 50,000 

Santiago 42,000 

Cienfuegos 41,000 

Puerto Principe 40>679 

Santa Clara (Villa Clara) 34,655 

Guanabacoa 28,043 

Cardenas 20,505 

Sancti Spiritus I7,540 

Sagua la Grande 14,000 

Trinidad I3,500 

Caibarien 12,000 

Manzanillo 10,736 

Note. — For descriptions of these 13 chief cities see 
under head of "As to Cities." 

Of towns containing 5,000 population and over, 
but less than 10,000 population, there are these 19: 

Guantanamo 9,000 

Pinar del Rio 8,000 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 8i 

Macagua 8,000 

San Antonio de los Banos 7,5oo 

San Juan de los Remedios 7,230 

Lagunillas 7,030 

Colon 7^000 

Nuevitas (San Fernando de) 6,991 

Giiines : 6,828 

Santa Ana 6,350 

Bejucal 6,239 

Santiago de las Vegas 6,200 

Jovellanos (Bemba) 6,000 

Guanajay 5^792 

Holguin 5^400 

Placetas 5,280 

Guarra 5,250 

Baracoa 5,072 

La Isabela (La Boca ; Concha) 5,000 



The 64 towns having a population of 1,000 and over, 
but less than 5,000 are arranged alphabetically as fol- 
lows: 

Alfonso XII 3,000 

Alquizar 2,700 

Arroyo Naranjo 3,000 

Artemisa 2,049 

Bahia Honda. 1,889 

Banta 2,000 

Batabano 1,860 

Bainoa 1,000 

Bayamo 3,634 

Bolondron 1,758 



82 'Our Nezv Possessions. 

Cabanas i,454 

Camajuani 4,180 

Camarones 1,200 

Catalina 3,142 

Caimito 1,788 

Candelaria 1,200 

Cayajabos i,353 

Cartagena i,497 

Ceiba del Agua 2,950 

Cervantes 1,560 

Cifuentes 1,887 

Cimarrones 3,000 

Corralillo 2,000 

Corral Nuevo 2,092 

Consolacion del Sur 2,000 

Cuevitas 1,629 

Gibara 4,608 

Guira de Melena 3,500 

Jaruco 2,165 

Jiguani i,393 

Limonar 2,000 

Los Abreus 4,503 

Mayari 1,854 

Macurigeo 3,650 

Managua 1,000 

Mantua 1,380 

Madruga 1,000 

Mariel 1,637 

Melena del Sur 1,082 

Moron 3,017 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 83 

Nueva Paz 2,737 

Palmillas 1,014 

Palmira 2,987 

Pipian 1,079 

Quemados de Guines 2,000 

Quivican 2,108 

Recreo 2,879 

Rodas 2,230 

San Antonio de Cabezas i,5oo 

San Antonio de las Vegas 1,136 

San Cristobal 3,522 

San Juan y Martinez 2,100 

San Jose de las Lajas 2,170 

San Nicolas - 1,500 

San Luis 3,556 

San Juan de las Veras 2,267 

Santa Cruz de los Finos 1,244 

Santa Cruz del Sur 1,000 

Santo Domingo 1,500 

Santa Isabel de las Lajas 3,102 

Sierra Morena 1,600 

Tapaste 1,136 

Union de Reyes 4,100 

Victoria de las Tunas i,79i 

Note. — It has been decided by the United States 
Government to take a complete census of Cuba, not 



84 Our New Possessions. 

only to fix its population but to determine who are 
citizens and qualified electors in the election which 
shall be held to establish a representative government. 
This census will be taken under direction of the 
military government. 



As to CLIMATE. 

In the Matter of Temperature. 

Average annual temperature: 

Havana 76.08 

Cienfuegos 7650 

Matanzas 78.04 

Santiago 80.00 

For comparison: 

Washington 54-07 

New Orleans 68.08 



Hottest month's temperature (average): 

Havana, July 82.04 

Cienfuegos, July 85.50 

Matanzas, June 82.02 

Santiago, July 83.00 

For comparison: 

Washington, July 76.09 

New Orleans, July , 82.04 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 85 

Coldest month's temperature (average): 

Havana, January 70.03 

Cienfuegos, January 67.50 

Matanzas, February 72.00 

Santiago, January 77.00 

For comparison: 

Washington, January 32.02 

New Orleans, January S3.o8 



Hottest actual weather: 

Havana, July, '91 100.06 

Cienfuegos, July, '90 93.00 

Matanzas, July, '33 93.00 

Santiago, August, '63 102.00 

Washington, September. , 104.00 

New Orleans, July 99.00 



Coldest actual weather: 

Havana, February, '96. 49.06 

Cienfuegos, January, '95 48.00 

Matanzas, January, '35 51.00 

Santiago, January, '90 50.00 

Washington, January — .14 

New Orleans, January ,.,..,..,., 15.00 



86 Our New Possessions. 

For the interior of the island only two temperature 
records have been found, namely, for Ubajay and the 
mines of San Fernando. Ubajay is a village about 15 
miles southwest of Havana and about 242 feet above 
sea level. Its average temperature from four years' 
observations was 73.6° F. The record is quoted by 
Baron Humboldt and was made during 1796- 1799. 
The San Fernando mines are about 150 miles east- 
ward of Havana and 554 feet above sea level. The 
temperature record is for the year 1839 and shows an 
average of 75°. From these records the average an- 
nual temperature of the interior of the island would 
appear to be considerably lower than on the coast. 

It is known, too, that in the interior, at elevations of 
over 300 feet, the thermometer occasionally falls to 
the freezing point in winter. Hoar frost is not un- 
common, and during north winds thin ice may form. 
It hails frequently, but snow is unknown in any part 
of the island. 



In the Matter of Humidity. 

The relative humidity of Cuba's atmosphere aver- 
ages 75 per cent, of saturation, and, while there is 
actually a wet and a dry season, judged by the amount 
of rainfall, it is a significant climatic fact that the 
mean relative humidity of the twelve months differs 
hardly enough to warrant characterizing one month 
as being drier or damper than another. That is, the 
air is always heavily charged with moisture. The 
following figures, showing the percentage of humid- 
ity in the twelve months of the year at Havana, bear 
out this statement in a remarkable fashion : 



^3 


93 


62 


70 


58 


70 


68 


67 


62 


69 


67 


74 


ez 


70 


62 


72 


70 


78 


69 


78 


68 


77 


64 


72 



C«6a and Adjacent Isles. 87 

Month. At 6 a. m. At noon. At 6 p. m. 

January 85 

February 85 

March 85 

April 84 

May 85 

June 89 

July 88 

August 88 

September 90 

October 89 

November 87 

December 82 



In the Matter of Rainfall. 

The rainfall shows to a greater degree than the 
temperature the influence of locality and season of the 
year. As in other lands on the border of the tropics, 
the year is divided between a hot, wet season, corre- 
sponding to the northern declination of the sun, and 
a cool, dry period. From May to October is called 
the wet season, though rain falls in every month of 
the year. With May spring begins, rain and thunder 
are of almost daily occurrence, and the temperature 
rises high, with little variation. The period from 
November to April is called the dry season. For 
seven years the mean annual rainfall at Havana in 
the wet season has been observed to be 27.8 inches, 
and of the dry months 12.7. 

The eastern part of the island receives more rain 
than the western. There are seldom over twenty rainy 



Our New Possessions. 

days in any one month, the average being from eight 
to ten. The rainfall is generally in the afternoon, and 
on an average there are only seventeen days in the 
year on which it rains in both forenoon and after- 
noon. 

So far as present meteorological records go, a de- 
scri-ption of the rainfall of Cuba is practically that of 
the rainfall at Havana, the short and fragmentary 
records that have been kept at Matanzas and Santiago 
hardly being representative. Taking, then, the rain- 
fall at Havana for the years 1885-1897 inclusive, these 
are the figures : 



Year. 


Rainy season ( Jnne 

to October, 
inclusive, 5 months). 


Dry season (Noveni' 

ber to May, 
inclusive, 7 months) 


1885... 


26.79 inches 


21.38 inches 


1886... 


47.49 ' 




17.04 ' 




1887... 


32.38 ' 




16.95 ' 




1888... 


2397 ' 




29-54 * 




1889... 


35.71 * 




24.02 * 




1890. . . 


28.15 ' 




28.41 * 




1891. .. 


38.02 * 




20.51 ' 




1892. . . 


49.49 ' 




8.81 ' 




1893... 


38.95 ' 




21.64 * 




1894. .. 


38.08 ' 




12.63 ' 




1895... 


38.78 ' 




17.07 * 




1896. .. 


31.09 ' 




19.97 * 




1897... 


27.70 * 




18.51 ' 





Last year Havana's monthly record of rainy days 
was as follows : 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 89 

Rainy days. 

January 8 

February 7 

March 6 

April 4 

May 8 

June 10 

July 12 

August 12 

September 14 

October 9 

November 8 

December 6 

Total 104 



In the Matter of Health. 

While great things may be expected of the Ameri- 
can system of sanitation as applied to Cuba, it must 
not be overlooked that the island is a tropical country 
and that its climate is very different from that of even 
our warmest sections. Acclimatization is a necessary 
process, and during that process the following simple 
rules will be found of value : 

If possible, the first visit to Cuba should be made in 
the cool season. Even then linen or cotton garments 
will be needed. During the period of acclimatization 
one should guard against any excess of work or pleas- 
ure, late evenings, bodily or mental fatigue, exposure 
to the sun, or rapid cooling off, or any cause that 
might produce illness. 



go Our New Possessions. 

Exercise on foot, horseback or in a carriage is nec- 
essary for one who is visiting this land for the first 
time, but only in the morning and evening; washing 
and bathing are also very good, first in tempered and 
after a few days in cold water; baths should not be 
taken after hard work, and the best time is the morn- 
ing or at noon and after the body has been at rest. 

While ready perspiration is one of the essentials to 
the preservation of health, danger also lurks in it, for 
when in such a condition a few moments in the shade, 
exposure to a breeze will bring on a cold more quickly 
in Cuba than in any other place outside the tropics. 
If it is noticed that the perspiration is stopping on a 
warm day, a physician should be consulted immedi- 
ately, and also in the case of giddiness, headache, etc. 

As to food, the visitor should use wholesome and 
nutritious meats, and the salt and fresh water fish 
that abound in these regions. It is also well to use 
certain condiments, such as pepper, cloves, allspice, 
cinnamon and others that heighten and flavor food 
and aid digestion ; though used, they should not be 
abused. The moderate use of certain tropical fruits 
to which northerners are accustomed, such as oranges, 
lemons, limes and pineapples, is advantageous with- 
out question, but there are hosts of others, mostly of 
a soft, squashy nature and a sweet sickish taste, such 
as the mango, sapote, alligator pear, etc., that it is 
wise to avoid. The combination of alcohol with them 
is almost deadly, and it is well to let the banana alone. 

The continuous use of alcohol causes a marked de- 
terioration in the constitution, being one of the greatr 
est obstacles to acclimatization. However, a little 
rum mixed with water is a stimulating and whole- 
some drink, especially on hot days. Soft drinks an^ 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 91 

lemonade are not good, as they cause a kind of ple- 
thora which turns into diarrhoea. 

In a word, live soberly and moderately, keep clean 
and use common sense, and Cuba's climate will not 
down you. 

While much that has been written concerning Cuba 
would seem to indicate that it is a veritable pest hole, 
such descriptions actually cover only the worst condi- 
tions and comparatively a small portion of the island, 
for probably at least two-thirds of it are as healthy, 
even in the summer, as any country in the world. 

Cases of longevity are not wanting. There are 
numerous instances where natives have attained 100 
years, some 130 years, and there is even one known to 
have lived to the age of 150, Longevity is most fre- 
quent among the colored population. 



AstoDISTANCES. 

All reckoned in statute miles to Havana. 

From cities of the United States. 

Miles. 

Key West 100 

New Orleans 690 

Mobile 640 

Tampa 35° 

Savannah 613 

Charleston 662 

Philadelphia I,i37 

New York 1,215 

Boston 1,348 



92 Our New Possessions. 

From foreign cities. 

Quebec 2,421 

Vera Cruz 809 

Rio de Janeiro 3,536 

Buenos Ayres 4,653 

Montevideo 4,553 

Port of Spain 1,521 

Bermuda 1,150 

Gibraltar 4,030 

Plymouth (Eng.) 3,702 

From Cuban cities and towns. 

Artemisa 45 

Baracoa 765 

Batabano 33 

Bayamo 609 

Bemba ( Jovellanos) 90 

Candelaria 29 

Cobre , 669 

Coloma 128 

Consolacion del Sur 100 

Guantanamo 730 

Guanajay 35 

Guines 46 

Holguin , 613 

Jaruco 23 

La Union 80 

Las Vegas 61 

Marianao 7 

Manzanillo. 636 

Madruga 52 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 93 

Matanzas 56 

Moron 276 

Nuevitas 407 

Pinar del Rio 113 

Punta Brava 14 

Puerto Principe 345 

Rincon 14 

Sagua la Grande 212 

Sancti Spiritus 270 

San Antonio de los Banos 21 

San Felipe 26 

San Juan de los Remedios 235 

Santa Clara 209 

Santiago de Cuba 682 

Santiago de las Vegas 13 

Trinidad 247 



As to COST and TIME in GETTING THERE. 

There are now many ways of reaching and sending 
to Cuba, by rail and sea, and by the all-sea route, as 
witness the foHowing list : 

By the Plant System there is the choice of two 
routes : 

(i) The Florida and West Indian Limited, via 
Charleston, Savannah and the West Coast Railroad. 
Trains by this route leave New York daily 9.20 a. m., 
arrive Port Tampa next day 8.30 p. m. 

(2) The New York and Florida Special, via Jack- 
sonville and St. Augustine. Trains by this route leave 



94 Our Nezv Possessions. 

New York daily 12.20 p. m., arrive Port Tampa next 
day 8.50 p. M. 

Both these trains connect daily, except Sundays and 
Wednesdays, with the U. S. mail steamers of the 
Plant Line, for Key West and Havana, according to 
the following schedule: 

Steamship New Olivette leaves Port Tampa Mon- 
days and Thursdays, 9 130 p. m. ; arrives Havana 
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 6 a. m. 

Steamship Whitney leaves Port Tampa Saturdays, 
9.30 P. Ai. ; arrives Havana Mondays, 6 a. m. 

Steamship Yarmouth leaves Port Tampa Tuesdays 
and Fridays, 2 p. m. ; arrives Havana Wednesdays 
and Saturdays, 2 p. m. 

Note. — The New Olivette and Whitney touch at 
Key West ; the Yarmouth does not. 

Children under five years of age carried free; five 
years of age and under twelve, pay half fare ; twelve 
years and over, full fare. 

One hundred and fifty pounds of baggage carried 
free on each full fare ticket, and 75 pounds on each 
half fare ticket. Baggage in excess of 150 pounds on 
full fare ticket will be charged for. Any piece of bag- 
gage weighing more than 250 pounds must be for- 
warded by express or freight. 

Through one way tickets from New York to Ha- 
vana, first class, are $5475 ; round trip, $99. 

Pullmans run on these trains, the rates to Tampa 
being as follows : 

From New York, double berth, $8.50; drawing 
room, %2)^. From St. Louis, double berth, $8; draw- 
ing room, $30. From Chicago, double berth, $8.50; 
drawing room, $32. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 95 

By the Miami Route there is also a choice of two 
ways: 

(i) By the Florida East Coast Railway. 

(2) By the Atlantic Coast Line. 

Over the first route trains leave New York daily at 
12.05 A. M. ; arrive at Miami next day at 10.30 p. m. 

Over the second route trains leave New York daily 
at 8.50 p. M.; arrive at Miami next day at 10.30 p. m. 

From Miami the steamship Miami plies direct to 
Havana, according to the following schedule : 

Leaves Miami Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 

p. M. 

Arrives Havana Mondays and Thursdays at 3 p. m. 

Through Pullman sleepers and dining cars between 
New York and Jacksonville and chair cars between 
Jacksonville and Miami. 

Over both the Plant and Miami roads the trains run 
direct to the steamer's side. 

The cover-all time on the Miami route is as fol- 
lows : 

New York to Havana 63 hours 

Boston to Havana 68 " 

Philadelphia to Havana 551^^ *' 

Baltimore to Havana 531/^ " 

Washington to Havana 513^ " 

The rates by this route are the same as those over 
the Plant System. 

All first-class tickets to Havana include meals and 
berth on steamer. 

Those who wish to still more break the journey can 
take steamer from New York, Boston or Baltimore to 



gS Our Nezv Possessions. 

Savannah by the Ocean Steamship Company of Sa- 
vannah, connecting at Savannah with the Florida 
and West Indian Limited for Tampa or via Jackson- 
ville to Miami. 

Steamers of the Ocean Steamship Company of Sa- 
vannah leave New York from Pier 34 North river, 
foot of Spring street, every day at 5 p. m., except 
Sunday and Monday, 

Steamers of the same company leave Boston every 
Wednesday at noon and every Saturday at 3 p. m., 
from Lewis' Wharf, 

Note. — Steamers sailing from Boston on Wednes- 
days touch at New York. Steamers sailing on Satur- 
days go direct to Savannah. From Savannah to Bos- 
ton all sailings are direct. 

Steamers of li^e Merchants' and Miners' Transpor- 
tation Company (working with the Savannah line) 
leave Baltimore from the foot of West Falls avenue 
at 4 p. m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

If the passenger elect to travel via Port Tampa he 
must take such train as will enable him to connect 
with the steamship Mascotte, of the Plant Steamship 
Line, which leaves Port Tampa every Monday, 
Thursday and Saturday at 9 p. m., reaching Havana 
every Wednesday, Saturday and Monday at 6 a. m. 

If he elect to travel via Miami he must take such 
train as will enable him to connect with the steamship 
Lincoln, of the Florida East Coast Steamship Com- 
pany, which leaves Miami Sundays and Wednesdays 
at II p. m. and reaches Havana on Mondays and 
Thursdays at 3 p. m. 

The passenger rates on the Savannah Line of 
steamers are as follows : 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 97 

From New York to Savannah. 

First class, one way $20.00 

First class, excursion 32.00 

Intermediate, one way 15.00 

Intermediate, excursion 24.00 

Steerage, one way 10.00 

Philadelphia passengers are booked via New York at 
same rates. 

From Boston to Savannah. 

(Via direct ship or Sound Lines and New York.) 

First class, one way $22.00 

First class, excursion 36.00 

Intermediate, one way 17.00 

Intermediate, excursion 28.00 

Steerage, one way 11. 75 

First-class and excursion tickets include meals and 
berths in staterooms on steamer. 

Intermediate tickets include meals and berths in 
staterooms in intermediate cabin. 

Steerage passengers are furnished with mattresses 
and meals on steamer. 

Children under five years, free; between five and 
twelve years, half fare; over twelve years, same as 
adult. 

Trunks (except one small steamer trunk) are not 
allowed in staterooms. Baggage can be checked 
through to destination the same as by rail. 

Through tickets can be purchased by these steamers 



98 Our New Possessions. 

to Havana, either via Tampa or Miami, at the follow- 
ing rates : 

From New York. 

Cabin $52.25 

Excursion (cabin) 91.00 

Intermediate 42.25 

Excursion (intermediate) 75-50 

Steerage 31-75 



'From Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Providence, 
Newport or Fall River. 

Cabin $54-25 

Excursion (cabin) 95.00 

Intermediate 44-25 

Excursion (intermediate) 79-50 

Steerage 33-50 

First-class tickets include meals and berth on 
steamer from Port Tampa or Miami to Havana. 

All tickets include meals and berth on Savannah 
Line between New York or Boston and Savannah. 

Those who wish to take an all-sea voyage have the 
following routes to select from : 

La Compania Trasatlantica, J. M. Ceballos & 
Co. Steamers on this line leave New York the loth, 
20th and 30th of each month, arriving on the 14th, 
24th and 4th, respectively. 

The steamer sailing from New York on the 20th 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. gg 

and arriving at Havana the 24th connects at Havana 
with the steamer leaving there about the end of each 
month for the principal ports of Cuba and Porto Rico. 
The steamer leaving New York on the 30th con- 
nects at Havana with the steamer that leaves on the 
loth of the following month for San Juan de Porto 
Rico. The rates over this line are as follows, all 
being from New York : 

^, „ '^^ To To To 

Class. Havana. Santiago. Nuevitas. Gibara. 

First cabin.... $37 $65 $60 $65 

Second cabin . . 26 45 40 43 

Steerage 17 30 25 26 

Excursion Tickets, 25 per cent, discount. 

Families comprising parents, their children and 
servants will be allowed a reduction of 15 per cent, on 
established rates. 

Children from seven to twelve years, half fare; 
from three to seven years, quarter fare; less than 
three years, free. 

Each first cabin passenger is not allowed over 600 
pounds of baggage. Each second cabin passenger is 
not allowed over 400 pounds. 

The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Com- 
pany (Ward Line).— Steamers of this line leave 
Piers 16 and 17, East river, every two or three days 
for Havana and every week for Guantanamo, Santi- 
ago, Cienfuegos and other ports on the south side of 
Cuba. 

It is both a freight and passenger company. 

The Munson Steamship Line.— Steamers of this 



100 Our New Possessions. 

line sail as follows : From New York to Matanzas, 
Cardenas, Sagua, Caibarien, Nuevitas, Gibara and 
Baracoa, every two weeks. 

From Halifax to Havana, monthly. 

From Galveston to Havana, every two weeks. 

Pensacola Cuban Steamship Line. — Regular 
semi-monthly service from Pensacola to Havana and 
other Cuban ports. 

The Earn Line. — Philadelphia to Havana and San- 
tiago and Baltimore to Havana. Steamers every 
twenty days. 

Other lines, mostly freighters, are these : The Mo- 
bile Steamship Company, from Mobile to Cuban 
ports ; the Mutual Steamship Line, from New York to 
Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Santiago, Gibara and Nue- 
vitas. 



As to MAIL and CABLE SERVICE. 

Mails are sent to Cuba by every available steamer, 
the rate being five cents on every half ounce. 

There are four cable lines connected with Cuba. The 
International Ocean Telegraph Company has a cable 
from Florida to Havana ; the Cuban Submarine Com- 
pany has a cable connecting Havana with Santiago 
de Cuba and Cienfuegos; the West India and 
Panama Company has a cable connecting Havana 
with Santiago de Cuba, Jamaica, Porto Rico, the 
Lesser Antilles and the Isthmus of Panama; the 
Compagnie Franqaise de Cables Sous-Marins has a 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. lOi 

line connecting Havana with Santiago de Cuba, 
Haiti, Santo Domingo, Venezuela and Brazil. 

The only three towns in Cuba having cable connec- 
tions are Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago. 

Cable rates from New York are as follows : 

By the Interna- By the U. S. & By the W. 

tional Ocean Hay ti Tel. & India 

To Telegraph Cable Cable 

Co. Co. Co. 

Per word. Per word. Per word. 

Havana $0.40 $040 $0.90 

Caibarien, Los 

Abreus, Pla- 

cetas, Remedi- 

08, Sagua la 

Grande, Santa 

Clara & Cien- 
fuegos 60 .60 .60 

Caimanera, 

Guantanamo & 

Santiago 73 -73 -73 

Press rates to Havana, 10 cents per word. 

The telegraph and telephone systems in Cuba be- 
longed to the Spanish Government, but the latter 
farmed them out for a limited number of years to a 
company called the Red Telefonica de la Havana. 
Since the American occupation they have passed un- 
der the control of the United States Military Gover- 
nor. Nearly all the public and private buildings in 
Havana and its suburbs are connected by telephone 
and telephones are in great favor as labor saving de- 
vices in nearly all the big towns and cities. The 
Statesman's Year Book, 1898, says that there are 2,300 
miles of telegraph line, with 153 offices, in Cuba; mes- 
sages in 1894, 357,914- 



102 Our Neiv Possessions. 

As to TRADE. 

Because of revolution and foreign war, Cuba's com- 
merce has not only been intermittent, but the records 
of trade have been illy kept or not at all. The fol- 
lowing facts and figures are, however, reliable: 

The imports consist mainly of jerked beef from 
South America, codfish from the British North 
American provinces, flour from Spain, rice from 
Carolina, Spain and the East Indies, wine and olive 
oil from Spain, boards for boxes and barrels from 
North America, coal from Europe and North Amer- 
ica and petroleum from the United States, besides 
large quantities of British, German and Belgian 
manufactures and hardware. Cattle are imported 
from Florida and the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. 

The exports consist of sugar, tobacco, coffee, 
brandy, copper, wax, honey, cotton, leather, horn, 
cocoanut oil, timber and fruit. 

The latest year for which the statistics of the com- 
merce of the island with all countries can be compiled 
in a comparative form is 1896, for which year the fol- 
lowing figures of values are reasonably accurate : 

Imports Exports 

Conntry. From Cuba. To Cuba. 

United Kingdom $174,187 $5,843,892 

Belgium 208,304 1,089,239 

France 3»338,900 424,600 

United States 40,017,730 7,530,880 

Spain 9,681,120 33,474,680 

The varying trade of the United States with Cuba 
for the years inclusive 1891-1897 is shown in the fol- 



Cuba and Adjacent Isks. 103 

lowing statement. The trade of 1898 amounted prac- 
tically to nothing : 



Imports from Cuba to the United States. 





Free. 


Dutiable. 


Total. 


I89I.. 


..$26,044,502 


$35,669,893 


$61,714,395 


1892. . 


.. 66,140,835 


11,790,836 


77,931,671 


1893. . 


.. 66,049,369 


12,657,137 


78,706,506 


1894. 


.. 67,418,289 


8,259,972 


75,678,261 


1895.. 


,. 17,684,765 


35,186,494 


52,871,259 


1896. . 


. 2,074,763 


37,942,967 


40,017,730 


1897. . 


. 1,270,059 


17,136,756 


18,406,815 



Exports from the United States to Cuba. 





Domestic. 


Foreign. 


Total. 


1891.. 


.$11,929,605 


$295,283 


$12,224,888 


1892. . 


. 17,622,411 


331,159 


17,953,570 


1893.. 


. 23,604,094 


553,604 


24,157,698 


1894.. 


• 19,855,237 


270,084 


20,125,321 


1895.. 


. 12,533,260 


274,401 


12,807,661 


1896.. 


. 7,312,348 


218,532 


7,530,880 


1897.. 


• 7,599,757 


660,019 


8,259,776 



It will be seen here that the years of great contrast 
are those of 1893 and 1897. In 1893 our trade with 
Cuba reached its maximum since 1874. In 1897 it 
reached its minimum, except, of course, in 1898. The 
imports and exports for these two contrasting years 
are as follows : 



104 ^^^ New Possessions. 

Principal Imports from Cuba Into the United 

States. 

Articles. 1893. 1897. 
Free of duty : 

Fruits, including nuts $2,347,800 $154,422 

Molasses 1,081,034 5,448 

Sugar 60,637,631 — 

Wood, unmanufactured.... 1,071,123 63,670 

Other articles 911,781 1,046,519 

Dutiable : 
Tobacco — 

Unmanufactured 8,940,058 2,306,067 

Manufactured 2,727,030 1,971,214 

Iron ore 641,943 — 

Sugar — 11,982,473 

Other articles 348,106 877,003 

Total imports $78,706,506 $18,406,815 



Principal Exports from the United States to 

Cuba. 

Articles. 1893. 1897. D 

Wheat flour $2,821,557 $564,638 

Corn 582,050 247,905 

Carriages and street cars and 

parts of 316,045 3,755 

Cars, passenger and freight, 

for steam railroads 271,571 9,202 

Coal 931,371 638,912 

Locks, hinges and other 

builders' hardware 395,964 49,386 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 105 

Railroad bars, or rails, of 

steel $326,654 $14,650 

Saws and tools 243,544 34,686 

Locomotives 418,776 20,638 

Stationary engines 130,652 1,189 

Boilers and parts of engines. . 322,284 35,578 

Wire 321,120 35,905 

Manufactures of leather 191,394 39,753 

Mineral oil 514,808 306,916 

Hog products 5,401,022 2,224,485 

Beans and peas 392,962 276,635 

Potatoes. 554,153 331,553 

Boards, deals, planks, joists, 

^tc 1,095,928 286,387 

Household furniture 217,126 34,288 

Other articles 8,708,717 3,i03,'3i5 

Total exports $24,157,698 $8,259,776 

Spain's commerce with her lost dependency for the 
years 1891-1896 inclusive was as follows: 

Imports from Exports from 

Cuba to Spain. Spain to Cuba. 

^^91 $7,193,173 $22,168,050 

1892 9,570,399 28,046,636 

^^93 5,697,291 24,689,373 

^^94 7,265,120 22,592,943 

1895 7,176,105 26,298,497 

^896 4,257,360 26,145,800 

Lastly, the following table is decidedly interesting 
as showing in what articles Europe and the United 
States have respectively controlled the import trade 



io6 Our New Possessions. 

into Cuba. It is compiled from the British Foreign 
Office papers of 1897 and gives the trade of 1896. 

From 
Europe to U.S. to 

Articles. Cuba. Cuba. Total Value 

Butter, cases 6,338 54 $3i9,700 

Cheese, cases 1,881 44,358 323,^73 

Rice, hundredweights. ..853,538 23,800 2,807,481 

Beer, barrels 4,629 2,860 82,379 

Beer, cases 6,574 2,044 43,090 

Salt fish, drums 5,036 79,52i 686,000 

Flour, bags 404,019 100,321 4,285,522 

Coal, tons 29,050 180,487 2,085,370 

Potatoes, barrels 53,083 231,774 996,702 

Maize, bags — 97,303 467,049 

Lard, hundredweights. .. — 194,308 2,078,811 

Total values $I4,I75,777 



As to RAILROADS and TRAVEL. 

The following, it is believed, is the first tabulation 
made of the railroads of Cuba : 

SYSTEMS. 

Ferrocarril Occidente (Western Railway). 

Miles. 

Havana to Pinar del Rio 113 

Branch : 

Vinales to Muelle IS 

Total of system 128 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 107 

Ferrocarriles Unidos (United Railways). 

Havana to Guanajay , . 36 

Havana to Matanzas 56 

Havana to Bemba 34 

Havana to Batabano 36 

Havana to La Union 80 

Branches : 

Matanzas to Giiines 39 

Regla to Guanabacoa 2 

Robles to Madruga 5 

Total of system 288 

Ferrocarriles Unidos de Caibarien. 

Caibarien to Cifuentes 47 

Caibarien to Placetas (via Camajuani) 35 

Palmira to Cartagena 29 

Branches : 

La Luz to Lequito 3 

Bartolome to Tobar 14 

Zulueta to Yera 11 

Zulueta to Altamira 5 

Total of system 144 

Ferrocarril Cienfuegos-Santa Clara. 

Cienfuegos to Santa Clara 43 

Branches : 

Palmira to San Frances 6 

Nuevas to Cruces 8 

Ranchuelo to San Juan de Los Yeros 6 

Ranchuelo to Concepcion 5 

Cruces to Alegre 10 

Total of system 78 



io8 Our New Possessions. 

Ferrocarril de Sagua la Grande. 
Isabella to Cruces 54 

Ferrocarril de Matanzas. 
Matanzas to Murga 62 

Branches : 

La Union to Alfonso XII 3 

Navajas to Venero San Juan 50 

Total of system 115 

Ferrocarril de Puerto Principe-Nuevitas. 

Puerto Principe to Nuevitas 50 

Jucaro to Moron 38 

Total of system 88 

Ferrocarril de Sancti Spiritus. 
Sancti Spiritus to Tunas de Zaza 22 

Branches : 

Casilda to Byaba 19 

Sagua la Grande to Cayuagua 10 

Total of system 51 

Ferrocarril de Sabanilla y Moroto. 

Santiago to San Luis 20 

Branch : 
Cristo to Minas de Ponupo 12 

Total of system 32 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. log 

Ferrocarriles Cardenas-Jucaro. 

Cardenas to Santa Clara 107 

Cardenas to Yaguaramas 67 

Branches : 

Recreo to Itabo 15 

Bemba to Navajas 11 

Colon to Guareiras 6 

Altamisal to Macagua 21 

Manacas to Mamey 12 

Manacas to Hacienda , 13 

Total of system 252 

Ferrocarril de Holguin. 

Holguin to Jibara 26 

Ferrocarril de Guantanamo. 

Jamaica to La Caimanera 19 

Juragua Iron Co. Railroad. 

Santiago to America 19 

Spanish- American Iron Co. Railroad. 

Daiquiri to Vinent 3 

Sigua Iron Co. Railroad. 

Sigua to Arroyo la Plata 5 

Suburban Roads. 

Havana to Marianao 8 

Havana to Guanabacoa 3 

Havana to Chorrera and Vedado 4 

Havana to Amilo -5 



110 Our New Possessions. 

Note. — It is so impossible to give anything like an 
accurate statement of the business and earnings of the 
Cuban railroads that it has been thought better to give 
none than to present misleading figures. Then, too, 
many of the roads are private concerns, which refuse 
to furnish returns. Generally speaking, the traffic on 
the main public railroads in normal times has been 
both extensive and remunerative. 

The first railroad was built in Cuba in 1834, running 
from Havana to Giiines, a distance of forty-four 
miles. In 1837 a line was constructed from Nuevitas 
to Puerto Principe ; also one from Cardenas to Bemba 
(Jovellanos). From time to time other lines were 
commenced, some of which were finished and are to- 
day a part of the railway system of the island ; others 
were abandoned or consolidated. Though the vari- 
ous lines constituting the railway system of Cuba are 
owned by different companies, there is practically but 
one trunk road, that centering in Havana, to or from 
which tflie major portion of traffic naturally comes or 
goes. 

While the lines of roads, both in number and mile- 
age, have been continually growing, railroad construc- 
tion has received many setbacks through insurrection, 
financial and industrial stagnation and the lack of 
energy and enterprise of the natives. 

By far the largest portion of the trackage is of light 
weight, iron rails being still in use on many roads. 
All the roadbeds are rough. The roads are generally 
single track and 4 feet 8^2 inches gauge. The rolling 
stock is principally of the American type, but not all 
of American manufacture. The locomotives are wood 
burners, the passenger and freight cars smaller than 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. tit 

ours and the whole outfit about thirty years behind 
the age. 

Railroad building in Cuba is accompanied by many 
obstacles. On the table lands are found streams and 
chasms which must be trestled, numerous hills and 
ridges to be cut through, while the forests with their 
luxuriant growth of vegetation are almost impene- 
trable. In the lowlands are to be found large swamps 
and marshes which must be crossed, dense forests 
and numerous low-banked streams which often over- 
flow their banks and flood the whole country. 



In the Matter of Other Travel. 

Outside of the railroads, personal and bipsiness 
communication on the island is very uncertain. A so- 
called system of public roads or "calzadas" prevails 
in the neighborhood of the principal cities, but the 
good character and passability of these roads is short 
lived, and travel over the island, whether on foot, on 
horse or in carriage, is tedious and uncertain. 

The national carriage is the volante. It consists of 
a two-seated carriage, slung low down by leather 
straps from the axle of two large wheels, and has 
shafts fifteen feet long. The horse in the shaft is led 
by a postilion, v/hose horse is also harnessed to the 
carriage with traces. In case of a long and rough 
journey a third horse is harnessed on the other side 
of the shafts in the same manner. 

Ox carts and pack mules are used for conveying 
goods in the interior of the island, outside of the rail- 
way lines. 

A liberal number of these roads is shown on maps. 



112 Our New Possessions. 

but too great reliance on their actual and entire exist- 
ence should not be had because of this fact. 

Internal means of communication, on an extensive 
scale, seems never to have been considefed as essen- 
tial to Cuba. The island is long and narrow and pos- 
sesses many fine harbors. Transportation of com- 
modities is accordingly carried on by water ; the land 
transport being confined to the short trips from the 
inland towns to the seaports. The natural tendency 
of travel by land has therefore been to the nearest sea- 
port. It has been poetically but truthfully said of 
many Cuban roads that they are fit only for the birds. 



As to BUSINESS CHANCES. 

It is the fairest thing to say at the outset that Cuba 
is not the place for a poor man. Native and import- 
ed labor is altogether too cheap. For commercial 
enterprise and investment, however, it offers unusual 
advantages. 

December 23 Secretary of War Alger issued an or- 
der that no franchise or concession should be granted 
except upon the approval of the Major-General com- 
manding the United States military forces and the 
authorization of the Secretary. Later the supervi- 
sion of these concessions was placed in the hands of a 
Colonial Commission, but in the gradual transference 
of the civil power to the Cubans the right to grant 
these concessions is being claimed by them. 

As examples of the .class of investment that is being 
energetically carried on may be mentioned these : 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 113 

The Regla Ferries and Railroad (Havana Subur- 
ban) have been bought by the Harvey syndicate for 
$293,000, and an electric light plant at Cienfuegos is 
to be established, with a capital of $190,000, and the 
same syndicate has secured a franchise for twenty 
miles of electric railroad in and around Santiago, the 
control of the electric plant and a contract for light- 
ing the city. 

A syndicate of American capitalists is preparing to 
build a series of railroads across the island and a 
backbone railroad the length of the island, the capi- 
tal already at command being quoted at $10,000,000. 

Much of the freight carrying is done by coasters 
and considerable capital is being invested in this di- 
rection. 

English capitalists already have a strong hold on 
the railroads and are doing their best to extend their 
interests. French capitalists are also active. 

The business men of all the Atlantic board cities 
are busily studying the outlook and extending their 
trade, and from what has been written under the 
heads of General Description, Cities and Commerce 
will be found valuable hints as to what Cuba gets, 
what she most needs and the countries from which 
she draws her supplies. 

Money will have the first chance in Cuba, brains the 
next and labor the third. Not that American labor 
following in the wake of American investments will 
not be well paid in time, but at present neither labor 
nor brains can accomplish much more than they do 
here. The application of all three, however, even if 
the monetary capital is small, should produce marked 
results. 

Real estate, for example, ofifers some excellent op- 



114 Our Mew Possessions. 

portunities for small investors. There is a great 
future for fruit raisers, and small stores, bustlingly 
conducted, would soon mean large fortunes, especially 
if the storekeepers delivered the goods. So would 
moderate sized department stores. 



As to PRODUCTS. 



Agricultural. 

Cuba's tobacco has been celebrated all over the 
world as the best in the world. It is indigenous to 
the island. While the "Vuelta Abajo" (lower valley) 
tobacco stands as a synonym for the finest grade of 
the leaf, it is by no means the only excellent tobacco 
of Cuba. The Vuelta is situated in the centre of 
Pinar del Rio Province and is the garden spot of the 
island, as well as the most prosperous and thickly set- 
tled. The tobacco plantations in the fertile country 
surrounding Puerto Principe, of Santa Clara prov- 
ince, of the country back of Matanzas, and of the 
alluvial plains and valleys around Havana, all furnish 
a splendid leaf. 

The tobacco crop on an average is estimated at 560,- 
000 bales of no pounds each, or 61,600.000 pounds. 
Tobacco leaf exported in 1895 amounted to 30,466,000 
pounds; in 1896 to 16,823,000 pounds, the decrease 
being due to the decree of May, 1896, forbidding 
tobacco leaf exports except to Spain. In 1896 the 
cigars exported numbered 185,914,000. The Royal 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. lis 

Imperial Factory of La Honradez, in Havana, pro- 
duced 2,532,000 cigarettes. 

About 80,000 persons are ordinarily engaged in the 
cultivation of tobacco. 

The latest attempt at an estimate placed the number 
of tobacco plantations or fields at 9,500. 

In normal times Cuba is one of the most favored 
countries of the world for the economical production 
of sugar. The total sugar crop of any other West In- 
dian island is equal only to the output of three or 
four of the largest Cuban manufactories. Of the 
other cane-sugar countries of the world Java is the 
only one which comes within 50 per cent, of the 
amount of sugar produced annually in Cuba in normal 
times. The reasons for the extent of the crops and 
profitable character of the production are these : 

(i) The favorable climate and the fertility of the 
soil. The rainfall, about 50 inches, is so distributed 
that irrigation is not a necessity. 

(2) The centralization of the estates, with conse- 
quent large sugar houses, these indeed having a larger 
daily capacity than those of any other country. 

(3) The proximity of the United States, affording a 
cash market for the product. 

(4) Low cost of labor. 

What this industry will be developed into under the 
fostering care of American enterprise may easily be 
imagined. If all the land suitable to the growth of 
sugar were devoted to this industry it is estimated 
that Cuba might supply the entire Western Hemis- 
phere with sugar. The island has already produced 



Ii6 Our New Possessions. 

in a single year for exportation 1,000,000 tons, and its 
capabilities are still in the experimental stage. The 
yield in 1895 was 1,040,000 tons and 400,000 tons of 
molasses. 

The "ingenios," or sugar plantations, vary in ex- 
tent from 500 to 10,000 acres and number 1,500. 

The first coffee plantation in Cuba was established 
in 1748. There are now about 1,000 plantations or 
"cafetales," varying in extent from 150 to 1,000 acres 
and employing a general average of from 50 to 60 
negroes to each 1,000 acres. 

Other agricultural products of Cuba are cocoa, cot- 
ton, sarsaparilla, vanilla, copal, China root, cassia, 
Palma Christi, mustard, pepper, ginger, licorice, bal- 
sam, rubber; and of fruits, the pineapple, custard 
apple, cocoanut, plum, guava, banana, orange, citron, 
lemon and mango. 

Agriculture, however, is in an altogether unsatis- 
factory condition, and the crops are due rather to the 
fertility of the soil and pushing power of the climate 
than to the energy of the workers. 



Mineral. 

The mineral wealth of Cuba is simply enormous, 
yet it may be said to be practically untouched. 

Gold and silver have not been found in paying 
quantities, although the early settlers mined a con- 
siderable quantity of each. 

Copper was mined at Cobre (12 miles from San- 
tiago) before Columbus discovered the island. In 
the early part of the present century English capital- 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 117 

ists purchased the Cobre mines, shipping annually to 
the United States from 1828 to 1840 about $3,000,000 
worth of ore. The mines were closed, but not ex- 
hausted, in 1867. 

The iron ore found in Santiago province is among 
the richest in the world, yielding from 62 to 67 per 
cent, of pure iron. The Juragua and Daiquiri iron 
companies (American) have a combined capital of 
$5,000,000, the shipments from their mines running 
from 30,000 to 50,000 tons of ore per month. Unde- 
veloped mines of equal value are scattered over this 
province and in Pinar del Rio. 

Manganese ore in rich deposits is found in the 
Sierra Maestra range, stretching west from Santiago 
to Manzanillo, American capital opened a manga- 
nese mine at Ponupo and built a railroad to it, but the 
enterprise was stopped in war times. Nearly all the 
manganese used in the United States comes from the 
Black Sea regions. 

Asphaltum deposits are of frequent occurrence and 
have been mined to a small extent; antimony, with 
lead, exists near Holguin ; crude petroleum is found 
in Havana and other provinces; salt is deposited in 
great quantities in many parts of the island; quick- 
silver has been found near Remedies (Santa Clara 
province), while among the other mineral products 
with which the island is rich are clays, limestone, 
ochre, chrome, chalk, marble, jasper, loadstone, mold- 
ing sand and talc. 

The mountains are of coral formation, while the 
lowlands seem to be composed largely of fossils of 
sea matter from prehistoric times and are extremely 
rich in limes and phosphates. 



ii8 Our New Possessions. 

Animal. 

A large proportion of the wealth of CMba is found 
in its domestic animals, including chiefly the ox, 
horse, hog, sheep, goats and mules, numbering many 
million head. Cuba contains 3,300 breeding farms. 
Domestic fowls include geese, turkeys, peacocks and 
pigeons, and there are over 200 species of indigenous 
birds. 

In the rivers, bays and inlets are to be found more 
than 700 kinds of fish. Oysters and other shellfish 
are numerous but not good. 

The only animal peculiar to Cuba is the jutia, 
shaped like a rat. There are a few deer in the 
swamps and the woods abound in wild dogs and cats. 
The manati or sea-cow frequents the shores. Before 
the war horses and mules were so numerous that no 
one thought of traveling afoot. Sheep do not thrive 
in Cuba, the wool having been replaced by hair. 



Forest and Timber. 

Of the 20,000,000 acres of wild and uncultivated 
land in Cuba 12,000,000 are of virgin forests. These 
forests are full of the most valuable timber trees. 

The palm is the most common of all the Cuban 
trees, and perhaps the most valuable. There are a 
great many varieties. Of these the palma real (royal 
palm) is the most common, and, like the maguey of 
Mexico, is the mainstay of the natives. The other 
woods of importance are the mahogany, ebony, cedar, 
ncana, a tree with a hard reddish wood; gine-bra- 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 119 

hacha, a kind of fir; guayacan, jigui, maranon, a tree 
which yields a gum resembling gum arabic ; oak, pino 
de tea, a torch pine; evergreen oak, sabicu, ocuje, a 
wood much used for construction purposes; sabina, 
nogal, walnut, majagua, a tree from which very dur- 
able cordage is made ; Brazilian wood, capeche wood, 
fustic, cocoa, banana and the magnificent cieba. 

So plentiful and extravagantly used are mahogany 
and ebony that railroad ties and wharves are to be 
found made of these woods. 



As to COST of LIVING and WAGES PAID, 
Hotel Rates. 

The following is a representative list of the leading 
hotels in the principal cities — Cuban rates : 

Havana.— Ingletcrra, $4 ; Roma Grand Continental, 
$3; Hotel Pasaje, $3; Gran Hotel Mascotte, $2.50 
to $3. 

Santiago.— TrensLTd's, $3; Telegrafo, $2; Cafe 
Venus, $3; Hispano- Americano, $2. 

Matansas. — Louvre, $4. 

Cienfuegos.— Union, $4 ; La Mascota. 

Cardenas.— VnivGrssd, $2; El Leon de Oro, La 
Marina. 

Sagua la Grande. — Telegrafo, $3, 

Puerto Principe.— E\ Telegrafo, $2. 

Besides these hotels there are boarding houses 
(Casas de huespedes) in nearly all the towns of im- 
portance, where the rates run from $6 to $10 per week. 



120 Our New Possessions. 

WAGES PAID. 
Domestics. 

Cooks, men $17.00 to $40.00 per month 

Cooks, women 8.00 to 1 5.00 per month 

Porters 10.00 to 20.00 per month 

Chambermaids 6.00 to 12.00 per month 

Child nurses 8.00 to 12.00 per month 

House boys or girls 6.00 to 8.00 per month 

Various. 

Office clerks $20.ooto$ioo.ooper month 

Store clerks 18.00 to 40.00 per month 

Bakers 17.00 to 25.00 per month 

Tailor cutters 3-00 to 8.00 per day 

Sewers i.ooto 2.00 per day 

Stevedores 3.00 to 3.50 per day 

Stevedore — helpers 2.00 to 2.25 per day 

Cigarmakers i.ooto 25.00 per 1,000 

On Railroads. 

Conductors $75.00 to$i25.ooper month 

Engineers 75-00 to 130.00 per month 

Brakemen 1.25 to 1.50 per day 

Firemen 1-35 to 1.50 per day 

Track walkers i.oo per day 

Station agents 40.00 to 100.00 per month 

Telegraph operators 50.00 to 100,00 per month 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 121 

Mechanics. 

Carpenters $1.2510 $2.50 per day 

Apprentices 60 to i.oo per day 

Plumbers 2.00 to 2.50 per day 

Tinners 2.00 to 2.50 per day 

Painters 2.Q0 to 2.50 per day 

Plasterers 2.00 to 2.50 per day 

Masons 2.00 to 2.50 per day 

Machinists 2.00 to 3.50 per day 

Engineers in general 2.50 to 3.00 per day 

Blacksmiths 1.50 to 2.00 per day 

Molders 3.00 to 3.25 per day 

Note.— It must be understood that these wages arc 
on the basis of the Cuban-Spanish money, a table of 
which is given herewith. The value of the gold coins 
given is their exchange value; the value of the 
silver coins is their local, current value, or was before 
the increasing introduction of American silver. At 
present Cuban silver is not worth more than 60 cents 
on the dollar and there is a heavy premium on Ameri- 
can gold : 



Cuban Gold Coins. 

Ounce or doubloon (onza) $17.00 

Half doubloon (media onza) 8.50 

Moneda c 30 

Quarter doubloon (doubloon) 4.25 

Eighth doubloon (escudo) 2. 12^2 



122" Our New Possessions. 

Cuban Silver Coins. 

Peso (dollar). ..„ $i.oo 

Medio peso (half dollar) 50 

Dos pesatas 40 

Pesata (franc) 20 

Real (dime) 10 



As to GOVERNMENT and LAWS. 

Under the Spanish rule Cuba had representation in 
the Cortes, sending three Senators from the Province 
of Havana, two from each of the other five provinces, 
one from the Archbishopric of Santiago, one from 
the University of Havana and one from the Society 
of the Friends of the Country. Thirty deputies w^ere 
sent to the House of Deputies, but as all the Senators 
v^^ere Pro-Spanish and twenty-six of the deputies 
elected in 1896 were natives of Spain, the Cubans 
really had no representation. 

The supreme power in the island was the Captain- 
General, appointed by the Crown for three or five 
years, who was allowed a standing army of 13,000, 
who was Governor-General and the real head of the 
civil, ecclesiastical, military and naval organizations 
of the island. He had a council of administration of 
thirty members, fifteen appointed by the Crown and 
fifteen elected by the provinces, but the elections were 
so controlled as to give the Spanish Government a 
majority of 25 to 5. To make matters still safer, the 
Captain-General might suspend from one to fourteen 



Cuba and Adjacent Istes. 1^3 

councillors at will or all, with the consent of a 
peculiar body called the Council of Authorities, com- 
posed of the Archbishop of Santiago, Bishop of 
Havana, the commanding officers of the army and 
navy, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ha- 
vana, the Attorney-General, the head of the Depart- 
ment of Finance and the director of the local ad- 
ministration. This Council of Authorities held no 
regular sessions, but was called together as occasion 
might require, and its resolutions were put into effect 
by the Captain-General or not as he saw fit. 

Each province had a governor, appointed by the 
Crown, but directly responsible to the Captain-Gen- 
eral, and an elective assembly whose speaker was ap- 
pointed by the Captain-General. The Provincial 
Governor might, however, preside and vote or pro- 
rogue the Assembly and report to the Captain-Gen- 
eral, while the latter might suspend any of the pro- 
vincial assemblies at will. Each Provincial Gover- 
nor had a cabinet of five members, but as a matter of 
fact and despite their high sounding titles, the Pro- 
vincial Government, Governor and all, were little 
more than our county boards. 

So, too, the city governments, formed on the same 
general plan as the provincial, while they included an 
elected Board of Aldermen, with a mayor elected 
from their number, the Captain-General might put in 
his own mayor and override the ordinances at will. 

In the judicial system of Cuba, too, the Captain- 
General was supreme. It included two superior 
courts (audiencias), one sitting at Puerto Principe 
for the two eastern provinces, and the other at Ha- 
vana for the four western provinces. Inferior to 
these was a network of judicial districts and local 



124 Our New Possessions. 

magistracies. How unimportant and unauthorita- 
tive the whole judicial system was may be gathered 
from the fact that under the decree of June g, 1878, 
the Captain-General had authority to overrule any de- 
cision of any court, and, further than that, to suspend 
any law or order issued by the Madrid Government. 
In a word, the Captain-General was for the time 
being the Czar of Cuba. 

The present government of Cuba is that of a mili- 
tary occupation by the United States, with Major- 
General Brooke as the Governor General. As a first 
experiment in Cuban autonomy the City of Havana 
has been placed in charge of the following civil and 
municipal officers : Frederico Mora, Civil Governor ; 
Perfecto Lacoste, Mayor; Major-General Menocal, 
Chief of Police, and General De Cardenas, First As- 
sistant. General Ludlow, however, remains Military 
Governor of Havana and General Chaffee has charge 
of the general policing of the island. The civil gov- 
ernment of Havana includes also five assistant may- 
ors and twenty-four city councillors. The city has 
been divided into twelve police precincts and six in- 
spection precincts, with a force of 1,000 police. There 
is also an active street cleaning department. 

Colonel Edgar Dudley, as Judge Advocate, has 
been charged with reorganizing the courts. He will 
administer, under the existing laws, as much as pos- 
sible, doing his best to correct gross abuses. Neither 
habeas corpus or trial by jury was in force under 
the Spanish laws and the people are not ready for 
either. All the old Spanish laws have been trans- 
lated into English. The Supreme Court of the island 
is the Audiencia, though it is really an Appellate 
Court. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 125 

One of the peculiar legal institutions of Cuba is the 
notaries, who really exercise the functions of referees 
and Masters in Chancery. 

All of the affairs of the island, which formerly 
were under the direction of the secretary to the Gov- 
ernor-General, are now directed by five secretaries, 
who constitute General Brooke's cabinet. 

The Civil Governors of provinces still exercise 
much the same powers as under Spain, but the power 
of the municipalities will be extended, the care of 
charities and public instruction being entrusted to 
them. 

Colonel Tasker H. Bliss has been made chief of the 
Cuban customs. 



As to INSTITUTIONS. 

In the Matter of Education. 

While the system of education in Cuba under the 
Spanish rule was lax and ill administered, it was not 
in such actual chaos as has been popularly supposed. 
The system being under the direction of the Governor 
General and director of the University of Havana, 
and both being natives of Spain and appointed by the 
Crown, it follows that little real interest was shown 
in the educational welfare of the native Cubans. 

As in the case of other departments, the Spanish 
school statistics are incomplete and unreliable. The 
following table, compiled with much trouble from the 
records of 1897, the latest available year, gives a 



126 



Oitr New Possessions. 



fair idea of the educational status of Cuba at that 
time: 



Provinces. 



Pinar del Eio 

Havana 

Matanzas 

Santa Clara 

Puei'to Principe 

Santiago 

Totals 



CO 


en 


c5 




d 




m 


6C 
1 


o fl 

CO 

145 


CO 

> 

'r-t 

46 


1120 


CO 

144 




O 

195 


3565 


5 


350-1 


3()4 


965 


216 


14724 


585 


8 


536 


116 


1040 


150 


5327 


269 


1 


345 


104 


2090 


217 


6917 


322 


1 


144 


37 


345 


40 


1542 


78 


1 


255 






85 


6031 


86 


12 


4929 


667 


5560 


852 


38106 


1531 



t3 g Pi 
P eC j3 

m ^ 

4830 
19193 
6903 
9352 
2031 
6286 

48595 



Education in Santiago has been under the worst 
conditions of the island. The girls have been taught 
little more than embroidery and etiquette, and some 
time ago an edict was issued forbidding the education 
of children of Cuban parents in the United States, lest 
they should imbibe liberal ideas. 



Note. — The ratio of children attending the public 
school was one to forty-five, while the approximate 
ratio in the United States was one to 5. 

The amount estimated for educational purposes, 
according to the last budget, was $137,760, but no 
part of this was in aid of the public school. 

Education was made compulsory by law in 1880, 
but that again is an instance of the difference be- 
tween law and fact, the law being nugatory when 
there is not the disposition or ability to provide 
school houses and teachers. Another drawback to 
the progress of education has been that the course of 
instruction in all schools was closely allied to reli- 
gion. Grammar and the credo went hand in l^and. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 127 

The fact is, too, that Cubans are little given to study 
Havana has not only its public schools, but the 

tTlLnL7> 1 ''"''"°" ^"^ ••-compl.shments" 
are at ended to by its university, institute, seminary 
severa theological and normal schools and an Acal: 
emy of pamtmg and sculpture. 

The Royal University of Havana has five depart- 
ments, viz., philosophy and letters, medicine, phar- 

tute m each of the six provinces empowered to cen- 
ter the degree of bachelor or licentiate 

Outside of Havana there are many really excellent 
educational establishments. At Manzanillo for ex- 

.fchoni . r' '"° P"™'" ''^°°^'- ^'Sht municipal 
s hools, two for colored children; at Nuevitas there 
are four public city schools, two for each sex; in the 
Province of Pinar del Rio there are forty-six private 
schools, 144 public school and one institute of art 
while even at old Puerto Principe, where there is no 
hotel, there are good public schools. The City of 
Matanzas boasts of first and second class colleges 
institutes of science, art and literature. 

In the Matter of Churches. 

Up to the successful close of Cuba's last war of in- 
dependence the Roman Catholic was the only religion 

or Protestant place of worship on the island, but in 
ht month the M. E. Church (colored) established 
the first Protestant place of worship in Cuba and 
now that the restrictions on religion' have been re' 



128 Our New Possessions, 

moved, other denominations are at work on the estab 
lishment of branches of their respective churches. 

Catholicism was supported by the general revenues 
of the island, all items of expense having been deter- 
mined at Madrid. The amount estimated in the last 
Cuban budget was $385,588. 

The principal churches are referred to in the de- 
scriptions of the cities in which they are to be found. 



In the Matter of Theatres. 

The Cubans are essentially a pleasure and amuse- 
ment loving people, and it must be a very small and 
poor town indeed that does not possess a theatre." 
Havana has several, the principal being El Tacon, 
which rivals La Scala Aronson. Matanzas has its 
Esteban Theatre. There is a good one at Pinar del 
Rio, two at Sagua la Grande, two at Cardenas, a 
number at Santiago, one at Guantanamo and one at 
Puerto Principe. 



In the Matter of Newspapers. 

The common language of the country being Span- 
ish, all the newspapers have been printed in that lan- 
guage. Half English editions are now printed by 
many journals and one or two American papers have 
been started. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. I29 

As to CITIES. 

Havana was founded in 1519; destroyed by French 
buccaneers in 1538, but soon restored by Hernando 
de Soto. It was repeatedly plundered by pirates 
from 1551 to 1555. It was captured by the Eng- 
lish under Admiral Pococke and the Duke of Albe- 
marle, August 14, 1762, after a two months' siege, but 
was restored to the Spaniards February 10, 1763, by 
the Treaty of Paris. From April 22 to August 12, 
1898, it was blockaded by the American fleet and was 
formally delivered over to the United States January 
I, 1899. Its civil control was given into the hands of 
the Cubans, under American military protection, in 
February, 1899. 

Havana is the great centre of the island's social, 
commercial and military importance, and is actually 
more of a Spanish than a Cuban city. 

While in reality not so divided, the city is common- 
ly recognized as being in two parts : the intramural, 
or old town, lying between the bay and site of the an- 
cient walls, and the extramural, or new town, lying 
beyond the walls. 

In the old town the streets are very narrow, gener- 
ally about 22 feet wide, with sidewalks barely wide 
enough for two pedestrians to pass. In the new town 
the streets are generally about 32 feet wide. 

The principal business streets are O'Reilly, Obispo 
and Obrabia. 

The prevailing style of architecture is that of the 
south of Spain, thick walls of gaily painted rubble 
being the prevailing material of construction. Most 
of the houses in the old town are of one story, with 
crude means of ventilation and little or no provision 



130 Our New Possessions. 

of a sanitary nature. In the extramural town the 
houses are of a much more modern style. 

The principal public edifices are the Cathedral, 
erected in 1724; the churches of Santa Catalina and 
San Juan, dating from the sixteenth century ; the 
Governor's Palace, a yellow two-story edifice, with a 
handsome colonade ; the University, and El Tacon, a 
theatre built in 1838, during the incumbency of Cap- 
tain-General Tacon, seating about 3,000. 

Few cities in the world have a larger number of 
parks than Havana, the principal one of the ten which 
adorn it being the Plaza de Armas, comprising four 
gardens, with palm bordered walks ; La Alameda de 
Paula, bordering the bay ; the Campa de Marte, re- 
markable for its four handsome gates ; El Pasco de 
Taco, with its magnificent drive, and El Prado, the 
general promenade. 

Havana has three lines of water supply, the Zanga, 
little more than an unprotected drain ; the Aqueduct 
of Ferdinand VH., with a main of only 18 inches 
diameter, and that of Isabel II., or of the Vento, 
which, when completed, will furnish an ample supply 
of pure water. 

At this date Havana has nothing approaching a 
good system of sewerage. The greater part of the 
drainage empties into the sea or harbor, and as there 
is little ebb and flow of tide, the harbor water is filthy 
and ill smelling. 

The defences of Havana are numerous and exten- 
sive, the most important and picturesque being El 
Morro, built in 1589-1597. Most of the present forti- 
fications were originated by the Count of Santa Clara, 
in whose honor the great Battery has been named. 
There are now fifteen fortifications in and about the 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 131 

city, besides the uncompleted work, Las Animas, and 
the old sea wall bastions. 

Between the Morro and Cabafia are many secret 
passages. 

At the time of the war Havana had forty-three new 
guns, with an unknown number of old ones. 

The city is surrounded by a hilly region covered 
with grass, crops and garden produce, well watered 
by streams and free from marsh, except about the bay 
itself. There is but little timber, and isolated trees, 
chiefly the royal palm and ceiba, are common. The 
face of the country is broken naturally by hills and 
wooded ravines and artificially by stone walls, hedges 
of cactus, wire fences, single houses and hamlets or 
towns. There are few streams of large size. 

Many of the suburbs are quite pretty and contain a 
number of comfortable and well ordered villas, set in 
lovely gardens. 

Besides the railroads and ferries, treated of else- 
where, four main roads (calzadas) lead to and from 
Havana, turnpikes of a few miles long, which soon 
dwindle off into dirt roads or more or less impassable 
trails. 

Matanzas is the second commercial city on the isl- 
and and vies with Havana in wealth and culture. It 
has scientific, art and literary organizations, three 
churches, the Esteban Theatre, the Spanish Casino, 
custom house, hospital, jail, arena, post-office, col- 
leges, promenades (paseos), a telegraph station, gov- 
ernor's palace and hospitals. 

The wonderful Bellamar Caves lie three and a half 
miles east of Matanzas. 

Matanzas was settled in 1693. It is separated by 



132 Our New Possessions. 

two small rivers, the San Juan and the Yumuri, into 
three districts, the central, or Matanzas proper, lying 
between the streams ; the Pueblo Nuevo, south of the 
San Juan, and Versalles, north of the Yumuri. Ver- 
salles is the healthiest of the three, because it is built 
on a bluff and from being nearest the open sea. Con- 
necting Matanzas with Versalles is a fine bridge over 
the Yumuri, which cost $250,000. Pueblo Nuevo is 
generally low and poorly drained. Matanzas and 
Versalles have good natural drainage. 

The streets are generally about thirty feet wide, 
few of them paved, but generally in good condition 
owing to their being close to the natural limestone 
rock. Most of the houses are built of this stone, and 
as a rule are better ventilated than those of Havana. 
The city has the reputation of having long annually 
suffered from yellow fever, but it is peculiarly open to 
improvement from good sanitary measures. 

Santiago is the most southern place of note on the 
island, being 682 miles from Havana. It is the resi- 
dence of an Archbishop, has many notable buildings, 
including the Cathedral, erected in 1522, the city hav- 
ing been founded by Velazquez eight years previous. 

Santiago is built upon a steep slope, the public 
square, or Campo de Marte, being 160 feet above the 
sea. As it is located on the inland pocket of a small 
harbor, however, the climate is always hot, while in 
July and August the heat is suffocating. It has many 
small local railroads and is the headquarters for three 
large mining plants, owned by United States citizens 
— the Juragua, the Spanish-American and the Sigua 
concerns, together representing an investment of 
about $8,000,000. Santiago has a number of tobacco 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 133 

factories and exports large amounts of sugar, iron 
ore, manganese, mahogany, cedar, hides and wax. 

CiENFUEGOs (hundred fires) was founded in 1819, 
destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt in 1825. Com- 
mercially it is the most important port of entry on the 
southern coast. More than one-third of the town was 
formerly a mangrove swamp, but the town site slopes 
from the water front, which is three feet above the 
sea, to an elevation of about seventy-five feet. The 
drainage is consequently good. The streets are 40 
feet wide, macadamized, but the houses are small, 
mostly of wood and low. The town boasts of the 
Terry Theatre, quite an imposing edifice. There is a 
water works, but it does not yet supply water, one- 
third of the population having cisterns and selling 
water to the other two-thirds. 

Cienfuegos is subject to fierce northers, during 
which the temperature falls quite low, frost appearing 
on the high peaks of the San Juan mountains, which 
surround the bay. From December i until May the 
weather is quite pleasant, being dry and with a tem- 
perature that ranges from 60 to 78 degrees during the 
day and that falls several degrees during the night. 
For the rest of the year the temperature ranges from 
75 to 93 degrees, with frequent and heavy rains and 
wind storms. Then yellow fever becomes epidemic. 

Puerto Principe. — Though called the principal 
port, Puerto Principe is really the most inland city on 
the island, being thirty-four miles from the northern 
and forty-five miles from the southern coast. Its 
southern port of entry is Santa Cruz and its northern 
port Nuevitas. With the latter place it is connected 



134 ^"^ Neiv Possessions. 

by railroad, but between it and Santa Cruz there is- 
only a bad wagon road. 

The original Puerto Principe was at Nuevitas, hav- 
ing been founded there by Velazquez in 1515, but was 
moved in the following year to its present site, a 
broad, sandy savannah at a considerable elevation. 
It is the quaintest and most antiquated town in Cuba, 
a relic of the Middle Ages, with narrow, rambling 
streets and mediaeval houses of stone and hoary 
churches. Through it runs a river and around it 
stretches out the best grazing country of the island. 
No such thing as a hotel is known. 

Santa Clara, also known as Villa Clara, was 
founded in 1664. It is situated at a considerable ele- 
vation and it is blessed with such a dry air and soil 
that it ought to be one of the healthiest places in 
Cuba. But malarial fevers and dysentery are en- 
demic. It has broad streets, is well built, has an elec- 
tric light plant, a theatre, telegraph station and rail- 
road communication with Havana, being the eastern 
terminus of the main trunk railroad. There is a 
coal oil well a mile and a quarter from the city, which 
should yield abundantly ; while in its vicinity are an 
asphalt mine, from which 10,000 tons are taken an- 
nually, and mines of graphite, gold, plumbago and 
copper. The tobacco of the neighborhood is among 
the best of the island. 

GuANAEACOA was fouudcd in 1555. It is practically 
a suburb of Havana, and, being built on a hill, 130 to 
160 feet high, is wind swept and has good drainage. 
But its streets are ill kept and the houses dirty. It 
has an abundance of good drinking water, a theatre, 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 135 

telegraph station and communication with Havana by 
rail and ferry. 

Cardenas was settled in 1828, and, owing to the 
large number of Americans engaged in business there, 
is one of the most flourishing cities on the island. It 
has many fine buildings, two theatres, banks, fac- 
tories, etc., and is lighted with electricity and gas. 
The sanitary conditions are still bad, owing to the 
site of the town having been a mangrove swamp. 

Sancti Spiritus, like Trinidad, was founded by 
Diego Velazquez in 1514. It has two ports— Zaza, 
situated on the River Zaza, and Las Tunas, a seaport 
on the coast— a railroad running between the three 
points, about twenty-five miles in length. The town 
itself is situated on the River Yayabo, which empties 
into the Zaza. Its streets are narrow and its climate 
is not healthful on account of the dampness of the 
soil. 

Sagua La Grande was founded in 1817. It is in 
daily communication by rail with Santa Clara, Cien- 
fuegos and Havana and with its port of Isabela de 
Sagua (La Boca), ten miles distant. It has wide 
streets, machine shops, lumber yards, a town hall, 
private schools, ten municipal schools, clubs, two 
theatres, a hospital, a magnificent church, a large 
sugar export trade and is generally an unusually clean 
and healthy town. 

Trinidad is an ancient city, having been founded by 
Velazquez in 15 14. It lies on the slope of a remark- 
able saddle-shaped mountain, three miles from the 



136 Our Nezv Possessions. 

seashore, has a mean altitude of 220 feet, is open to 
the breezes of the sea and mountain and is reported to 
be the most healthful town upon the island. The 
Mountain Vijia, upon which it is situated, rises to a 
height of goo feet. One peculiarity of its position is, 
that while its streets are narrow and tortuous, they 
are at such a pitch that the heavier it rains the cleaner 
they become. 

It has an important commerce and two ports — the 
harbor of Casilda, three miles distant, and the River 
Guaurabo, which is navigable to within a mile of the 
city. There is a railroad to Casilda, which a steamer 
line touches. 

Caibarien is a modern town, having been founded 
in 1822. It is a port, with considerable coasting 
trade, is situated at the mouth of the Caibarien river, 
and, like so many other Cuban ports, has been built 
on the site of a mangrove swamp. Notwithstanding 
its low level, it is a healthy place, yellow fever appear- 
ing but rarely. It is connected by railroad with San 
Andres and with Cardenas by a steamship line. It 
has a large sugar export business, notwithstanding 
the shallowness of its roadstead ; has many large 
sugar warehouses, churches, brick houses, with tile 
roofs, and a general air of business bustle. 

Manzanillo. — Founded in 1784, Manzanillo is the 
seaport of Bayamo and Jigunae. It has hospitals, 
colleges, weekly papers, eight sugar mills, telephone 
and telegraph service, and is the centre of the lumber 
trade of the island. It lies on flat ground, is laid out 
in wide rectangular streets and needs a good water 
system. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 137 

As to GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

The island is traversed by mountain chains whose 
highest elevations are in the extreme eastern and 
western provinces. Most of the surface consists of 
undulating and well-watered plains, covered with 
luxuriant forests and plantations. The coast is alter- 
nately of low, marshy stretches and abrupt cliffs. It 
has 250 rivers, most of them, however, unnavigable 
except in the rainy season. No other island of its 
size in the world has so many desirable harbors. 
There are 220 of them, of which 37 on the north and 
13 on the south are accessible to ocean-going vessels. 
A description by provinces follows : 

Province of Pinar del Rio. 

The northern portions of the Province of Pinar del 
Rio are mountainous, the southern generally low and 
marshy. The principal mountain ridge is that of the 
Cordillera de los Organos, which rises to the Pan de 
Guajaibon, 2,000 feet high. 

The interior is what may be called a topographical 
contradiction, for while it contains moor wastes, salty 
marshes and boggy pools, it also contains "the Vuelta 
Abajo," the garden spot and the most fertile and 
prosperous section of the island. 

The rivers of Pinar del Rio are not long, but in the 
wet season are of considerable volume. Only a few 
of them are navigable. 

The outline of the coast is generally high and bold. 
Portions of it, however, are sheltered by archipela- 
goes, or screened by shoals, reefs or islands, making 



138 Our Neiv Possessions. 

navigation difficult. Where the coast is high there are 
fine harbors. Where it is low a landing is practically 
impossible. 



The Province of Havana. * 

Havana is the smallest but the most thickly popu- 
lated province of the island. It yields all the various 
products of the island, of forestry, mineral and agri- 
cultural. This province is the principal manufactur- 
ing centre of the island, containing as it does numer- 
ous large factories for the manufacture of tobacco, 
cement, ropes, confectioneries and jellies. Distribut- 
ed through the province are foundries, tanneries, saw 
mills and distilleries. The staple manufacture is to- 
bacco. 

There are three lakes in the southwestern part of 
the province — Caimito, Guanamen and Herrera — of 
considerable size and differing from the general char- 
acteristics of the swamp lakes of the southern coast, 
which are but torrid quagmires. 

Off and along the coast of this province lie many 
archipelagoes, made up of sand cays and islets, trav- 
ersed by networks of channels. The principal archi- 
pelago is that of Los Canarreos, to the south, in the 
Gulf of Matamano, which separates the province 
from the Isle of Pines. 

There are few mountains of importance in this 
province, the northern part being hilly and the south- 
ern sloping gradually to the low coast line. 

Havana is well watered by a number of small rivers 
and streams, none of them, however, being of com- 
mercial importance. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 139 

The most important part of the coast line is that 
which Hes around and about the Bay of Havana. This 
bay makes one of the finest harbors in the world, easy 
of access, spacious enough to contain 1,000 vessels, 
deep enough to allow them to come up to the wharves, 
and, except in the case of hurricanes, well protected 
on all sides. Within, the bay breaks up into three dis- 
tinct arms, named respectively Regla, Guanabacoa 
and Atares. 



Province of Matanzas. 

The Province of Matanzas is shaped like a wedge, 
the height of land being along the northern shore and 
the rivers flowing southward to valleys and marshes, 
the coast line of the province extending only along its 
northern boundary. 

The highlands on the northern coast rise to the Pan 
de Matanzas, 1,300 feet high. In the extreme north- 
west is the rocky range of the Sierra de Camarones. 
In the central portion lies the great plain extending 
from Cardenas to Holguin, broken by low mountains, 
small lakes and river courses. 

On the southern coast, on the north bank of the 
River Hatiguanico, is the greater half of an immense 
swamp, called Gran Cienaga Occidental de Zapata. 
This swamp played a conspicuous part in the late 
Cuban war. The insurrectionists, knowing its intrica- 
cies, carried their wounded there. The moment they 
touched the borders of this swamp they were in 
safety. 

The northern part of Matanzas is in the most fer- 
tile and productive zone of the island and is noted for 



140 Our New Possessions. 

its picturesque landscapes. It is also the richest and 
most advanced province of the island. Its industries 
are the raising of sugar and tobacco and distilling 
liquor, the mining of copper, some gold and silver, 
rock salt and pit coal. It has cattle farms and lime 
kilns, but its most important industry is the raising of 
sugar. 

Its commerce is extensive and favored by the har- 
bors, rivers and railways. The City of Matanzas, the 
capital of the province, is the second commercial city 
in the island. 



Province of Santa Clara. 

The Province of Santa Clara stands next to that of 
Matanzas as one of the richest as w^ell as one of the 
best settled parts of the island. Its rich soil yields in 
abundance all the special products of the Antilles, and 
the fruits of the temperate zone thrive on the elevated 
slopes of its mountain ranges. It is rich, too, in min- 
erals. 

Its chief industries in common with the other prov- 
inces are the raising of sugar and tobacco and the cul- 
tivation of fruits. Gold is extracted from the sandy 
shores of the Rio Arimao. Silver, copper and asphalt 
are mined. Cattle are raised. 

Its commerce consists in the importation and expor- 
tation of the above mentioned products. This com- 
merce is carried on by means of its fine ports on both 
the northern and southern coasts. 

The general aspect of the interior of this province 
is gently undulating, like that of England. Through 
it runs the Santa Clara range of mountains, the domi- 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 141 

nating peak of which is El Pico del Potrillo, which 
has an altitude of 3,000 feet. Outside of the imme- 
diate neighborhood of this mountainous region, how- 
ever, its general topographical features are made up 
of a few ranges, interspersed with an infinite number 
of lomas (hills), nestling down between which are 
innumerable small lakes and chains of lakes. 

The province is well watered, its rivers including 
the Sagua la Grande, whifh flows through the north 
central part of the province and which is the largest 
river of the entire north coast of the island, being 
ninety miles in length and navigable for twenty miles ; 
the Jatibonico del Sur, navigable for six or eight 
miles, and the Zaza, some ninety miles in length. 

The whole northern coast of Santa Clara is one im- 
mense archipelago, filled with cays and shoals, while 
off the southern coast are many other groups of sand 
and coral islands. 



Province of Puerto Principe. 

Puerto Principe is the most extensive and least 
populated of all the provinces. Its area is 11,428 
square miles and its population but 67,789. 

Plantations of sugar and tobacco of some magni- 
tude occupy the fertile country surrounding the quaint 
old capital of Puerto Principe ; fine pasturage is af- 
forded the numerous flocks and herds for which this 
province was formerly noted, but which have been 
greatly decimated as results of the late war. A lim- 
ited amount of vegetables is cultivated and consider- 
able fruit is grown. 

The most extensive forests of the island are here 



14^ Our Nezv Possessions. 

located. The preserving of fruit, the mining of cop- 
per and other metals and of marble, etc., the cutting 
of wood for building purposes, and cattle raising are 
the chief industries. The commerce of the province 
consists mainly in the exportation of these articles 
and of meat and the importation of foreign com- 
estibles and manufactured goods, carried on from the 
ports of Nuevitas, Moron, Guanajay and Santa Cruz 
del Sur. Fishing is good on the coasts. 

There are few mountain ranges in Puerto Principe, 
only detached groups appearing here and there, the 
ranges gradually dipping into the plains. 

The soil of the interior is rich, the coasts low and 
marshy and broken by lagoons, reefs and shoals. 
There are but two lakes of importance in the province, 
but it is peculiarly rich in rivers, both with a north- 
ward and southward course. 



Province of Santiago de Cuba, 

The Province of Santiago de Cuba occupies the ex- 
treme eastern end of the island, and, because of its 
remoteness from the capital and of its extremely 
broken and precipitous character, is less known than 
any of the other political divisions. Numerous cas- 
cades and cataracts are found in the interior and 
along the high coasts. The mountains are inter- 
spersed with tracts of great fertility. Shoals, sand 
banks, reefs, cays and peninsulas, creeks and marshes 
are all constituents of the topography and geography 
of Santiago de Cuba. 

In Santiago are situated the highest mountains and 
largest rivers of the island. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 143 

The principal rivers of the province are the Cauto, 
which flows twelve miles north of Manzanillo and is 
navigable for sixty miles, the Moa and the Gibara. 

From Cape Maisi to Cape Cruz a mountain chain 
passes close to the seacoast, then turning abruptly 
west it passes along the middle of the island, breaking 
away now and then to the north or to the south, cre- 
ating an intricate system of verdure-clad elevations 
cut into sharp ridges. The Sierra Maestra, the best 
defined mountain chain on the island, rises in a suc- 
cession of terraces, soon attaining an altitude of 5,140 
feet; an increase of elevation follows till the Blue 
Peak (Turquino) of 8,320 feet is reached. From 
Turquino the mountain continues under the name of 
Sierra de Cobre. Here are the noted copper mines of 
the province. In the Cobre range, resting on a pyra- 
midal peak 3,300 feet high, is the "Gran Piedra," a 
huge boulder 150 feet in length and 45 feet wide. 

The province is rich in vegetation, and in it are 
found all the productions of the island. The exploit- 
mg of mines, the manufacture of sugar, tobacco, co- 
coanut oil, chocolate, soap, ice, petroleum and liquors, 
cattle raising and the exploitation of forests are 
among its multifarious industries. 

Trade is carried on chiefly from the port of Santi- 
ago, which is one of the best in the world. 



As to SCENIC INTEREST. 

To the lover of natural beauties, the explorer and 
the archaeologist Cuba offers a wonderful field of in- 
terest. Many of the island's varied attractions have 



144 Our New Possessions. 

been referred to in the chapters given to Cities and 
General Description and the balance of the more re- 
markable is catalogued as follows : 

Near Candelaria are to be found some remarkable 
mineral springs and a cataract 98 feet high on the 
Manantiales. 

Three and a half miles east of Matanzas are the 
celebrated Bellamar Caves, whose crystals are the ad- 
miration of all strangers. 

At Vinales, sixteen miles from Pinar del Rio, are 
curative mineral baths. 

Twenty miles southwest of Cardenas are the excel- 
lent hot sulphur springs of San Miguel de los Bafios. 

At Jiguani, a little town twenty-one miles from 
Bayamo, is to be seen a remarkable example of an 
ancient castle, said to have the strongest interior work 
of any fort in Cuba. 

The Cubitas range is noted for its great caves, these 
caverns having been the seat of the Insurgent Gov- 
ernment in 1896. 

Important cascades are found on the Hanabanilla, 
some of them being 430 feet high. 

Twenty miles southwest of Havana is Lake Arigua- 
nabo, with a surface of about six miles, and abound- 
ing in fish. 

Madruga is a little watering place, with a season 
from March to October, during which time several 
hotels are open. It has good baths, sulphur springs 
and is a pleasant, healthy place, fifty-two miles from 
Havana. 

All along the coasts where there are beaches, shells 
and seaweed are to be found, beautiful and entirely 
peculiar to these coasts, while the waters display hues 
lovely beyond the most fanciful imagination. 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. ;'14S 

Cuba is also remarkable for its many streams which 
apparently sink into the earth, reappearing under a 
succession of natural bridges. Among these disap- 
pearing stream.s is the San Antonio. It disappears 
beneath a large, spreading ceiba in San Antonio dc 
los Banos. 

Near Baracoa is Maisi Cave, noted for its relics of 
a primitive age. 

All over the island are scattered individual lakes 
and chains of lakes. There are square leagues of un- 
explored forests and chains of untrodden mountains. 



As to Its HISTORY. 

Cuba was discovered October 28, 1492, by Christo- 
pher Columbus and was called in succession Juana, 
Fernandina and Ave Maria ; its present name being 
that given it by the natives. The first settlement was 
made at Santiago, 15 14. 

Insurrections have been almost perpetual since the 
latter part of the eighteenth century. The most im- 
portant have been these : That of 1827-29, planned by 
Cuban refugees in Mexico and the United States and 
known as the "Black Eagles;" that of 1844, really a 
revolt of the slaves ; that of 1854, ended by the be- 
trayal of the leader ; that of 1868-78, known as the 
Ten Years' War, and that of 1894-98, which resulted 
in independence. 

Our active interest in the affairs of Cuba dates back 
to 1848, when President Polk made a proposition to 
buy the island for $100,000,000. In 1873, that is dur- 



146 Our Neiv Possessions. 

ing the Ten Years* War, the American ship Vir- 
ginius was captured by the Spaniards, her cargo con- 
fiscated and many of her passengers executed as revo- 
lutionists. This act nearly brought on war between 
Spain and the United States. On February 15, 1898, 
the United States battleship Maine was blown up in 
Havana harbor. By act of Congress, April 25, 1898, 
it was declared that war had existed between the 
United States and Spain since April 21. On August 
12 Spain asked for terms of peace. Santiago was oc- 
cupied by the United States forces on July 17, 1898; 
Havana and the balance of the island January i, 1899, 
the Treaty of Peace having been signed in Paris De- 
cember 10, 1898. 



THE ISLE OF PINES. 

Cuba, as has been said, is surrounded by clusters of 
islets, a catalogue of which would fill pages. The 
principal of these is the Isle of Pines, lying in the 
Antilles Sea, sixty miles from Batabano, from which 
place a steamer now runs once or twice a week. 
Communication with the main island will, however, 
soon be increased as its extreme salubrity and many 
other natural advantages have already attracted the 
attention of American investors. 

The Chicago Isle of Pines Colony, a co-operative 
agricultural community, has been formed, with the 
object of raising fruits and early vegetables for north- 
ern markets. General Fitzhugh Lee has found it a 
comfortable retiring spot and certain Washington in- 



Cuba and Adjacent Isles. 147 

vestors contemplate converting the isle into a pleasure 
resort. 

The island is forty-five miles from east to west and 
thirty-three miles from north to south. Generally 
speaking, the island is high and rolling, with low 
coasts, except a portion of the north coast, where a 
range of hills comes down to the sea. There are 
mountains which are over 1,500 feet above the sea 
level. To the west and south is a long sweep of low 
coast line, indented here and there by the mouth of a 
river ; of these La Nueva is the best river entrance of 
the island. The other important rivers are Las Nue- 
vas, Casas and Santa Fe, all navigable. 

The Cienaga or swamp divides the island into two 
unequal parts. It is said to be impassable for horses, 
but the natives pass through it, at times wading to 
their armpits in water. At one place there is a cause- 
way, by means of which it is possible to cross on dry 
land. The Cienaga is infested with alligators; large 
quantities of fish and turtle are caught in the differ- 
ent bays. There are no venomous insects or reptiles 
on the island. 

Nueva Gerona is the largest town on the island and 
the capital of the place. It was the residence of the 
Governor and garrison. It is a small town of 400 to 
500 people, built on the Casas river. The houses arc 
chiefly of stone or rubble, common in Cuba, tlie 
streets wide and straight. 

In general the soil of the island is poor, sandy and 
in places gritty, but rich spots are found in the stream 
bottoms, and upon these corn, cane and vegetables are 
raised. Probably potatoes would thrive here. Some 
fruits are grown, which are smaller though of richer 
flavor than those of Cuba, the oranges being said to 



148 Our New Possessions. 

be the best in the world. Bananas are cultivated and 
many fruits are found growing wild, such as guava, 
caimito, papaya and such mangoes as it would be 
hard to find elsewhere in the world, whole groves of 
them, making a mountain of color impossible to de- 
scribe. 

The island has many varieties of wood, such as ma- 
hogany, cedar and hard woods, but the chief growth 
is the pine. Pines everywhere, but of a heavy kind, 
full of resin, and even less valuable than the yellow 
pine of the south. In addition to its woods, the re- 
sources of the island are its marble quarries and 
mineral springs. The medical value of the mineral 
springs near Santa Fe is acknowledged, and some say 
that they are the best in the world for all troubles of 
the stomach. 

As to health, the island has a high reputation. The 
inhabitants say that yellow fever is unknown, and the 
records of the military hospital show no exemption 
comparable to this at any other place in Cuba. 
Strangers who come here do not have to pass through 
the term of acclimatization usual in Cuba. The at- 
mosphere seems dryer and more bracing than that of 
Cuba, and it also seems cooler. People here have a 
good appetite, and altogether it is said there is not a 
more healthful spot in this quarter of the globe than 
the Isle of Pines. 



J^ 



PORTO RICO 

AND ADJACENT ISLES. 



As to AREA. 

The Island of Porto (Puerto) Rico is from 35 to 
43 miles broad and from 95 to 108 miles long. Its 
area is 3,668 square miles. 



For comparison: 

Connecticut 4,990 square miles 

Delaware and Rhode Island 3,370 " " 

Jamaica 4,424 " « 

Compared with Cuba, Porto Rico is geographically 
clean cut, its shores not being fringed with such 
chains of keys and islets. It has, however, a number 
of tributary islands, all of which were acquired by 
the United States at the time it took possession of 
Porto Rico. Of these islands the principal are Vie- 
que, Culebra, Mona, Ratones, Roncador and Moneta. 
A fuller reference to Vieque will be found at the end 
of this chapter. 



150 Our New Possessions, 

As to POPULATION. 

(Census of 1887.) 

Total population 813,937 

Whites o 485,860 

Mulattoes 263,567 

Negroes 64,510 

Porto Rico has not, however, been subjected to the 
decimating wars which Cuba has had to endure. Its 
population has had a natural increase and is esti- 
mated to-day at nearly 1,000,000. Of these fully 400,- 
000 have a greater or less admixture of negro or In- 
dian blood. 

For comparison: 

(Census 1890.) 

Population. 

Connecticut , 746,258 

Delaware and Rhode Island 513,999 

It will be seen from these figures that Porto Rico 
is quite thickly peopled. 

The estimated present population of Porto Rico's 
principal cities and towns is as follows: 

San Juan 30,000 

Mayaguez » . 20,000 

Ponce 15,000 

(Including Playa) 20,000 

Fajardo o 8,779 

Arecibo 7,000 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 151 

Aguadilla 5,000 

Humaco 4,000 

Naguabo 2,000 

Ucareo 1,500 

Arroyo , 1,200 



As to CLIMATE. 

On account of its being out of the direct sweep of 
the Gulf Stream, of not being hedged about by neigh- 
boring lands as is Cuba, and of being clearly exposed 
to the swift currents of fresh air blowing from the 
Atlantic into the hot Caribbean Sea, Porto Rico en- 
joys the best climate of the West Indies. While 
tropical, the weather is not so humid and depressing 
as is that of Cuba. The towns of the elevated in- 
terior enjoy a delightful climate and even the sea- 
ports are not uncomfortable. 

The climate of San Juan is warm but agreeable 
for three months of the year, when trade winds blow 
strong and fresh. 

At Ponce, because of the sea breezes during the 
day and the land breezes at night, the weather is 
never oppressive. 

The climate of Mayaguez is excellent, the tempera- 
ture never rising above 90 degrees. 

Aguadilla's weather is hot but healthy and that of 
Fajardo is quite temperate. 

Strangers visiting Porto Rico are, of course, sub- 
ject to the discomforts of acclimatization, but the 
process is not nearly so debilitating and dangerous 



152 Our New Possessions. 

as it is in Cuba. Yellow fever is endemic to Porto 
Rico, as it is to all of the islands of the West Indian 
archipelago, but it is not the ever present foe that 
has to be grappled with by every visitor. Porto 
Rico is, however, a danger spot to those afflicted by 
or subject to pulmonary complaints, while, on ac- 
count of the sudden changes of temperature, even 
the native is given to colds and catarrhs. 

February and March are the dryest months. 
Heavy rains begin in May, a month earlier than in 
Cuba, and continue, with a slight weakening in June 
and October, until the end of the year. 

No official meteorological records have been kept 
in Porto Rico, but Captain Arthur C. Hansard, man- 
ager of the Hacienda Perla, Province of Numacao, 
furnishes the following observations for 1898 which 
may be considered typical of the island : 

In the Matter of Temperature. 

Month. Average, Highest. Lowest. 

January 74 86 61 

February 72 85 61 

March 74 85 64 

April 75 87 65 

May o . . 78 95 69 

June 79 92 70 

July o . . 77 89 66 

August. 79 92 67 

September 79 93 70 

October 79 93 70 

November 76 86 65 

December 74 85 65 

Annual 76 95 6j 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 



153 



Note — Concerning the maximum temperature, 
Captain Hansard remarks : "The highest, 95 degrees, 
during May, 1898, was phenomenal and occurred 
only on two days. In fact, I have only noted 92 de- 
grees on two other days and 93 degrees on one other 
day. 



In the Matter of Rainfall. 

Total No. of Record of 

Month. rainfall, rainy days, wettest day 

inches. inches. inches. 

January 8.17 26 6.20 

February 2.90 14 0.83 

March 4.38 17 1.37 

April 7.35 16 2.80 

May 16.98 21 4.13 

June 6.87 18 3.49 

July 1406 27 3.65 

August 12.49 20 8.70 

September 10.85 22 2.71 

October 9.04 22 2 

November 19.62 , 28 5.45 

December 10.68 26 1.24 

Annual 123.39 257 

Note.— It will be observed that Captain Hansard's 

term, "dryest month," really means least wet month. 



The Hacienda Perla is at an elevation of some 200 
feet and the range of temperature in the coast towns 
can safely be counted upon as being somewhat 
higher, A temperature of 117 degrees has, for in- 



154 Our New Possessions, 

stance, been observed in San Juan. A fall of lo or 
12 degrees at night is usual. 



As to DISTANCES. 

(Reckoned in statute miles to San Juan.) 

From New York 1,420 miles 

From Charleston, S. C 1,200 " 

From Key West, Fla 1,050 " 

From Havana •. 1,000 " 



As to COST and TIME in GETTING THERE. 

At present there is only one direct steamship line 
trading to and from Porto Rico, and, of course, all 
travel to Porto Rico must be conducted wholly by 
sea, unless one takes the very roundabout way of 
going to Cuba by rail and steamer and thence taking 
steamer. 

The New York and Porto Rico Steamship Com- 
pany has a fleet of three passenger and freight steam- 
ers and one exclusively freight steamer, which leave 
the Empire Stores, Brooklyn, near Fulton Ferry, 
three times a month, stopping alternately at San 
Juan and Ponce. 

The trip to San Juan takes five or six days ; that to 
Ponce seven or eight days. 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 155 

In connection with these steamers is the small 
steamer Salacia, which makes trips around the island 
for the delivery of both freight and passengers. 

All these steamers carry United States mail. 

The passenger rate varies from $45 to $50 on the 
Arkadia and Winifred to from $50 to $60 on the 
St. Marcos. 

The St. Marcos also makes round trips of twenty- 
eight days, during which she discharges and loads 
cargo at San Juan, Arecibo, Aguadilla, Mayaguez, 
Ponce, Arroyo, Humacao, Vieque and Fajardo. 
Tickets for the round voyage, including board and 
berth, are from $130 to $160, while passengers re- 
maining ashore for any number of days are entitled 
to a rebate of $3 a day. 

The Red "D" Line steamers also call at Porto 
Rico now, en route for Venezuela, landing passengers 
and mail. These steamers leave New York every 
two weeks, the fare to Porto Rico being $60 to $70. 

The Quebec Steamship Company, plying between 
New York and the West Indies, also calls at Porto 
Rico. 

The Herrera Line of coasting steamers, which 
makes the tour of the Cuban ports, also calls at those 
of Porto Rico. 



As to MAIL and CABLE SERVICE. 

Mails are dispatched to Porto Rico by every steam- 
er that either sails to or touches at the island, clear- 



156 Our New Possessions. 

ances being effected now every two or three days. 
The rate for letters is five cents per half ounce. 

Cable communication from New York can be had 
over three companies' lines, the United States and 
Hayti Telegraph and Cable Company, the Interna- 
tional Ocean Telegraph Company and the West In- 
dian Telegraph Company, the rate per word being 
the same over all three cables — $1.17 per word for 
commercial messages, 40 cents per word for press 
messages. 

Cables also run from San Juan to St. Thomas and 
Jamaica. 

On the island there are 470 miles of telegraph lines, 
connecting the capital with the principal ports west 
and south, and a system of postal delivery is well 
under way. 

San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez have quite good 
telephone systems, there being already over 200 sta- 
tions at Ponce. 



As to TRADE 

According to a general Treasury statement, the 
values of the foreign trade of Porto Rico in 1896 
were as follows : 

Imports $18,945,793 

Exports 17,295,535 

Total $36,241,328 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 157 

Of this trade, that with Spain was valued at $ii,- 
259,702; that with the United States at $1,988,888. 

The latest available detailed returns of Porto 
Rico's commerce are those of the Estadistica General 
del Commercio for 1897, and they only give the trade 
of the island for 1895. According to this work, these 
are the figures of the 



Imports into Porto Rico. 

Value in 
Articles. U. S. Currency. 

Coal $119,403 

Iron 224,206 

Soap 238,525 

Meat and lard 1,223,104 

Jerked beef I33>6i6 

Fish 1,591,418 

Rice 2,180,004 

Flour 982,222 

Vegetables 192,918 

Olive oil 327,801 

Wine 305,656 

Cheese 324,137 

Other provisions 171,322 

Tobacco (manufactured) 663,464 

Other articles 7,477,260 

Total imports $16,155,056 

The countries from which Porto Rico took these 
imports, with values, are as follows : 



158 Our New Possessions. 

Countries. Values. 

Spain $8,572,549 

Cuba 526,730 

United States 1,833,544 

England 1,765,574 

France 251,984 

Germany 1,368,595 

Italy 19,619 

Holland 325,301 

Denmark 26,565 

British West Indies 1,709,117 

Danish West Indies 600 

French West Indies 55 

Total imports $16,155,056 



Exports from Porto Rico. 

Articles. Value. 

Coffee $8,789,788 

Tobacco 646,556 

Sugar 3,747,891 

Honey 5i7,746 

Other articles (largely molasses, cattle, 

timber and hides) 927,513 

Total exports $14,629,494 



The countries to which Porto Rico sent these ex- 
ports, with values, are as follows : 



Porto Rico and Adjacent tsles. 159 

Countries. Values. 

Spain $4,164,964 

Cuba 3,802,261 

United States 1,506,512 

England i, 144,555 

France 1,376,087 

Germany 1,181,396 

Italy 589,045 

Holland 3,240 

Denmark 236,418 

British West Indies 521,649 

Danish West Indies 40,434 

French West Indies 62,927 

Total exports $14,629,494 



Turning now to what Spain has lost and what the 
United States may gain, these figures show the trade 
of the United States with Porto Rico from 1891 to 
1897 inclusive : 



Imports. 





Free. 


Dutiable. 


Total. 


I89I. 


.$1,856,955 


$1,307,155 


$3,164,110 


1892. 


. 3,236,337 


11,670 


3,248,007 


1893. 


' 3,994,673 


13,950 


4,008,623 


1894. 


• 3,126,895 


8,739 


3,135,634 


1895. 


. 375,864 


1,131,148 


1,506,512 


1896. 


48,608 


2,248,045 


2,296,653 


1897. 


. 101,711 


2,079,313 


2,181,024 



i6o 





Our 


New 


Possessions. 








Exports. 






Domestic. 




Foreign. 


Total. 


I89I. 


.$2,112,334 




$42,900 


$2,155,234 


1892. 


. 2,808,631 




47,372 


2,856,003 


1893. 


. 2,502,788 




7.819 


2,510,607 


1894. 


. 2,705,646 




14,862 


2,720,508 


1895. 


. 1,820,203 




13,341 


1,833,544 


1896. 


. 2,080,400 




21,694 


2,102,094 


1897. 


. 1,964,850 




24,038 


1,988.888 



The commerce of Spain with Porto Rico from 
1891-1896 inclusive was : 



Imports from Porto Rico. 

1891 $3,260,650 

1892 4,428,891 

1893 4,108,654 

1894 4,164,964 

1895 5,824,694 

1896 5,423,760 



Exports to Porto Rico. 



1891 $3,305,243 

1892 3,929,186 

1893 4,653,023 

1894 5,535,027 

1895 8,572,549 

1896 7,328,880 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. i6i 

The value of the total imports for 1895. It has been 
shown, was $16,155,056, as against $18,316,971 for 
1896. The exports were valued at $14,629,494, against 
$17,295,535 in 1896. The principal increases in im- 
ports, as compared with the preceding year, were in 
meat, fish, olive oil and tobacco. Decreases were 
noted in flour, vegetables and wine. The exportation 
of coffee diminished and that of sugar and honey in- 
creased. 

In imports of coal, petroleum and wood the United 
States leads. Porcelain and earthenware, drugs and 
chemicals, paper and leather come mostly from 
Spain, although some paper is also imported from 
the United States. Galvanized iron roofing comes 
from England. Cotton and hemp, woolen goods and 
silks come from Spain, Germany and England. 
Great Britain and Germany furnish the machinery 
used in the island, with the exception of the items of 
boilers and scales. The principal articles exported 
to the United States are sugar and molasses. 



As to BUSINESS CHANCES and PRODUCTS. 

Following the American occupation, there has al- 
ready been effected a large change in the social and 
commercial conditions of Porto Rico, but much more 
remains to be done. The sm.allness of Porto Rico, 
as compared with Cuba, will naturally form a bar to 
the development of industries on so extended a scale 
as is possible on the larger island ; but it must not be 



1 62 Our New Possessions. 

overlooked that between the populations of the two 
islands there is not much difference, and that while a 
large proportion of Cuba is unexplored and unavail- 
able, nearly the wliole of Porto Rico is known and 
can be turned to some agricultural or other industrial 
advantage. 

The island is rapidly taking on new life, and those 
business men who have looked the island over pro- 
nounce it rich and possessing golden prospects for 
the future. 

The three great industries of the island are the 
raising of tobacco, coffee and sugar, the values of the 
exports of these three articles being given under the 
head of "As to Trade." Owing to the troubled state 
of affairs in Cuba, prices of tobacco have increased 
enormously in Porto Rico. A large amount has been 
planted and the crop promises well. From the tables 
under the "Trade" heading also can be gathered the 
countries from which the island has derived its 
supplies. 

There is very little manufacturing done in Porto 
Rico. Across the bay from San Juan the Standard 
Oil Company has a small refinery and in the city 
there are small broom, soap, match and trunk fac- 
tories. At Mayaguez there are three manufactories 
of chocolate and several coffee drying houses, as 
there are also at Aguadilla. 

Practically all of the machinery used in Porto Rico 
has come from Europe, but the total amount has 
been small, the Porto Ricans clinging to the old-fash- 
ioned hand work wherever possible. On February 
26 a model sugar plant was sent from New York to 
Porto Rico as an object lesson, and it is only a mat- 
ter of time and push for this country to supplant all 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 163 

of the antiquated affairs with Yankee, up-to-date la- 
bor-saving devices. 

As our information concerning Porto Rico grows, 
so apparently do the island's possibilities. It is un- 
usually fertile, and its dominant industries are agri- 
culture and lumbering. In elevated regions the vege- 
tation of the temperate zone is not unknown. There 
are more than 500 varieties of trees found in the for- 
ests, and the plains are full of palm, orange and other 
trees ; while the principal crops are sugar, coffee, to- 
bacco, cotton and maize, bananas, rice, pineapples 
and many other fruits are important products. 

The principal minerals found in Porto Rico are 
gold, carbonates and sulphides of copper and mag- 
netic oxide of iron in large quantities. Lignite is 
found at Utuado and Moca, and also yellow amber. 
A large variety of marbles, limestones and other 
building stones are deposited on the island, but these 
resources are very undeveloped. There are salt 
works at Guanica and Salinac, on the south coast, 
and at Cape Rojo, on the west, and these constitute 
the principal mineral industry in Porto Rico. 

In a recent report Mr. Robert P. Porter states that 
while the actual sugar production of Porto Rico is 
now 50,000 tons under American impulse, it could be 
raised to 150,000 tons. 



As to COST of LIVING and WAGES PAID. 

Both these matters are in an unsettled condition at 
present, due to the change of rates and values at- 



164 Our New Possessions. 

tending the process of reconstruction. As a general 
thing, though, the cost of Hving is a trifle less in Porto 
Rico than it is in Cuba, while the wages paid is some- 
what higher. 

Hotel rates range from $1.50 to $2 a day, Spanish 
money, and there are many excellent boarding houses 
in most of the large towns. Restaurants furnish 
good meals for from 25 cents to 50 cents and the in- 
digenous fruits and vegetables of the country are 
wonderfully cheap. Imported articles of food, mer- 
chandise and manufacture are naturally high, but the 
prices of these have been much lessened since the 
American occupation. A list of the best hotels on 
the island is as follows : 

San Juan. — Grand Hotel and Restaurant Ingla- 
terra. Grand Hotel de Francia, Grand Cafe Central, 
Hotel Marina, Mt. Vernon Hotel, the Mayflower 
Hotel. 

Ponce. — The Chamberlin Hotel, Hotel Arcadia, 
Hotel Washington. 

Arecibo — Cristobal Colon. 

Guaco. — American Victory Hotel, Twenty-fifth 
Day of July Hotel. 

Guayama. — Hotel Francis. 

The peso is the monetary unit of the island and its 
value, together with that of the other coins current 
there until the involved subject of currency has been 
settled, has been fixed as follows : 

Gold Coins. 

Alphonsinos (25-peseta piece) $4.82 

Louis (20-f ranc piece) 3.86 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 165 

Silver Coins. 

The peso -- $0-6o 

Medio peso 30 

Peseta ^^ 

Real 06 

Medio real ^3 

Bronze and copper coins are received at their face 
value in payments not exceeding one peseta. 



As to GOVERNMENT, LAWS and INSTITUTIONS. 

The island of Porto Rico was ceded outright to the 
United States and is at present "under the military 
control of this country, pending such legislation by 
Congress as shall determine its future government." 

Gen. Guy V. Henry is the Military Governor of 
the island, assisted by an advisory board, under the 
name of Insular Cabinet. 

The work of building up a new and better order of 
things on the ruins of the old Spanish rule, and 
using such of that material as is possible in the pro- 
cess of reconstruction, is slowly going on. 

Railroads are in their infancy, and outside of the 
celebrated military road across the island, said to be 
one of the most beautiful in the world, the means and 
paths of travel are very deficient. These single- 
track railroads are in some sort of operation : 

From Aguadilla to San German 32 miles 

From Ponce to Coamo 26 

From San Juan to Arroyo. 48 



i66 Our New Possessions. 

A company has been formed at Providence, R. I., 
in which New York and Boston capitalists are inter- 
ested, for the purpose of buying, building and operat- 
ing steam or electric railroads in Porto Rico, as well 
as to establish a steamship line, with fortnightly ser- 
vice, between Providence and Ponce. One of its 
first enterprises is announced to be the construc- 
tion of an electric road from Ponce to San Juan, 

Because of years of oppression and repression, the 
people are ignorant and poor in a land of plenty. 
The monetary system needs entire revision. The 
Spanish merchants have drained the agricultural 
classes dry ; the courts have been maladministered ; 
the school system has been a farce ; sanitation was 
unknown, and it is to the gradual amelioration, and, 
when necessary, eradication of these things that the 
new government is giving its patient attention. 

The so-called system of public schools was divided 
into the elementary, supported by the municipalities, 
and two higher grades, supported by the Insular 
Government. There were mighty few text books, one 
"flourishing" school of seventy pupils having a total 
of six books. The school census has been a farce, 
and so deficient has a common education been that 
when the people were numbered in 1887 it was found 
that out of a population of 806,708 only 11,380 could 
read or write. 

General John Eaton was appointed school superin- 
tendent of Porto Rico by the President January 25. 
He found that the municipalities took little or no in- 
terest in scholastic matters ; that most of the country 
schools were closed for want of funds, and that the 
most prominent school on the island had thirty 
pupils, 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 167 

To remedy all this. General Eaton has diligently 
set himself to work, but he is hampered by lack of 
funds. English-Spanish speaking teachers are want- 
ed, and, pending our Government's direct aid to edu- 
cation, General Henry has offered to pay teachers 
$50 a month American money, twelve months in the 
year. 

School libraries are being founded, the post-ofRce 
is getting into good trim, the filth is being removed 
and daylight is being let into the dark roads. 

Religious intolerance has not prevailed to such an 
extent in Porto Rico as it has in Cuba, and Ponce 
has boasted for some time of its Protestant church, 
then said to be the only one in the Spanish West In- 
dies. Active steps are being taken in this country to 
add others to that solitary church. The Chicago 
Episcopal Diocese has appointed the Rev. Geo. B. 
Pratt as special missionary to the island and most of 
the religious agencies are sending workers to Porto 
Rico. 

There are newspapers in San Juan and Ponce, pub- 
lished in English and displaying quite an amount of 
enterprise. 



As £0 Its CITIES. 

San Juan, the capital, is situated on a long and nar • 
row island, separated from the main island at one 
end by a shallow arm of the sea, over which is a 
bridge connecting it with the mainland, which runs 
out at this point in a long sand spit, some nine miles 
in length, apparently to meet the smaller island; at 



i68 Our New Possessions. 

the other end the island ends in a rugged bluff or 
promontory, some hundred feet high. This promon- 
tory is crowned by Morro Castle, the principal forti- 
fication of the town. At this end of the island is the 
entrance to the harbor, with a narrow channel and 
rocky bottom, so close under the headland that one 
can almost leap ashore from a passing vessel. The 
water here is some thirty feet deep. To a mariner 
unacquainted with the locality, or when a norther is 
blowing, this entrance is one of difficulty and danger. 

After rounding the bluff one finds a broad and 
beautiful bay, landlocked and with a good depth of 
water, which is being increased by dredging. It is 
by far the best harbor in Porto Rico, and probably 
as good a one as can be found in the West Indies. 

The island upon which the city stands is shaped 
much like an arm and hand. The greatest width 
is a little over half a mile in the portion represent- 
ing the hand, which also contains the major part of 
the city. 

San Juan is a perfect specimen of a walled town, 
with portcullis, moat, gates and battlements. Built 
over two hundred and fifty years ago, it is still in 
good condition and repair. The walls are pictur- 
esque and represent a stupendous work and cost in 
themselves. Inside the walls the city is laid off in 
regular squares, six parallel streets running in the 
direction of the length of the island and seven at 
right angles. The houses are closely and compactly 
built of brick, usually of two stories, stuccoed on the 
outside and painted in a variety of colors. The up- 
per floors are occupied by the better-to-do peo- 
ple, while the ground floors, almost without excep- 
tion, are given up to negroes and the poorer class. 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 169 

There is no running water in the town. The entire 
population depends upon rain water, caught upon the 
flat roofs of the buildings and conducted to the cis- 
tern, which occupies the greater part of the inner 
courtyard that is an essential part of Spanish houses 
the world over. There is no sewerage, except for 
surface water and sinks. The streets are wider than 
in the older part of Havana and will admit two 
carriages abreast. The sidewalks are narrow and in 
places will accommodate but one person. The pave- 
ments are of a composition manufactured in Eng- 
land from slag, pleasant and even and durable when 
no heavy strain is brought to bear upon them, but 
easily broken and unfit for heavy traffic. From its 
topographical situation the town should be healthy. 
The soil under the city is clay, mixed with lime, so 
hard as to be almost like rock. It is consequently im- 
pervious to water and furnishes a good natural drain- 
age. The trade wind blows strong and fresh and 
through the harbor runs a stream of sea water at a 
speed of not less than three miles an hour. With 
these conditions no contagious diseases, if properly 
taken care of, could exist. 

Besides the town within the walls, there are small 
portions just outside, called the Marina and Puerta 
de Tierra, containing two or three thousand inhabi- 
tants each. There are also two suburbs, one, San 
Turce, approached by the only road leading out of 
the city, and the other, Catario, across the bay, 
reached by ferry. The Marina and the two suburbs 
are situated on sandy points or spits, and the latter 
are surrounded by mangrove swamps. 

The full name of the city is San Juan de Bautista 
and it was founded by Ponce de Leon. 



170 Our New Possessions. 



Ponce is situated on a plain, about two miles from 
the seaboard. It is regularly built — the central part 
almost exclusively of brick houses and the suburbs of 
wood. It was the residence of the military comman- 
der and the seat of an official chamber of commerce. 
There is an appellate criminal court, besides other 
courts; two churches, two hospitals, a home of refuge 
for the old and poor, a well-equipped fire depart- 
ment, a bank, a theatre, three first-class hotels and 
gas works. The city has an ice machine and there 
are 115 vehicles for public conveyance. 

The inhabitants are principally occupied in mer- 
cantile pursuits, but carpenters, bricklayers, joiners, 
tailors, shoemakers and barbers find good employ- 
ment. Commercially Ponce is the second city of im- 
portance on the island. A fine road leads to the port 
(Playa), where all the import and export trade is 
transacted and where are situated the custom house, 
the office of the captain of the port and all the con- 
sular offices. The port is spacious and will hold ves- 
sels of twenty-five feet draft. Water for all pur- 
poses, including the fire department, is amply sup- 
plied by an aqueduct. 

Mayagues, the third city in importance of the isl- 
and, is situated in the west part, facing the Mona 
Channel. Mayaguez is the second port for coffee, 
the average annual export being 170,000 hundred- 
weights. The quality is of the best, ranging in price 
with Java and other first-rate brands. About 50,000 
bags of flour are imported into this port every year 
from the United States out of the 180,000 bags that 
are consumed in the whole island. The city is con- 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 171 

nected by trains with the neighboring town of Agua- 
dilla. with a partially constructed extension to San 
German, one of the large interior towns. 

Aguadilla is the principal town and the port of 
Aguadilla District, in the northwest portion of the 
island. The industries in the vicinity consist of the 
cultivation of sugar cane, coffee, tobacco and cocoa- 
nuts and the distillation of rum. 

Arecibo is situated on the north coast, facing the 
Atlantic Ocean and some fifty miles from San Juan. 
It is similar to all Spanish towns, with a plaza sur- 
rounded by the church and other public buildings in 
the centre, and streets running from it in right an- 
gles, forming regular squares. The buildings are 
constructed of wood and brick. The harbor is poor, 
being nothing more than an open roadstead, exposed 
to the full force of the ocean, in which vessels dur- 
ing northerly winds can hardly lie in safety. Into 
this harbor empties a narrow and shallow stream 
called the Rio Grande de Arecibo. Goods are con- 
veyed on this river to and from the town in flat-bot- 
tomed boats, with the aid of long poles and by dint 
of much pushing and patience. At the bar of the 
river everything is again transferred into lighters 
and thence to vessels. It is a tedious and expensive 
process. However, Arecibo is quite an im.portant 
port and has tributary to it a large district of some 
30,000 inhabitants. 

Fajardo lies on the east coast. The port is hand- 
some, the town being about one and a quarter miles 
from the bay. The only important industry of the 



172 Our New Possessions. 

district is the maniifactiire of muscovado sugar, to 
which most of the planters devote themselves. 

Arroyo, in the district of Guayama (southeast por- 
tion), is a small seaport whose annual exports to the 
United States average 7,000 to 10,000 hogsheads of 
sugar, 2,000 to 5,000 casks of molasses and 50 to 150 
casks and barrels of bay rum. 

Altogether there are about seventy towns and vil- 
lages of considerable size on the island. 



As to GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

The parallelogram-shaped island of Porto Rico is 
the most eastern of the Greater Antilles. It is sep- 
arated from the Danish island of St. Thomas by a 
reef-studded passage fifty miles across and from 
Hayti on the west by the Mona Passage, seventy 
miles across. 

The island is traversed from east to west by a 
mountain range, dividing it into two unequal por- 
tions, by far the longest slope being on the north, so 
that the rivers on that coast are much the longer. 
From this chain several branches diverge toward the 
north coast, giving it a rugged appearance. Most of 
the population is situated on the lowlands at the sea 
front of the hills. For lack of roads, the interior is 
accessible only by mule trails or saddle paths, and it 
is covered with vast forests. 

Rivers and brooks are numerous, forty-seven very 
considerable rivers having been enumerated. They 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. ly^ 

are short and rapid, especially on the Caribbean 
slopes, which are steep and abrupt. The mountains 
intercept the northeast trade winds blowing from the 
Atlantic and wring their moisture from them, so that 
the rainfall of the north section is very copious. 
South of the mountains several droughts occur and 
agriculture demands irrigation, but such work is un- 
systematically carried on. 

The northeast coast is broken and forbidding; that 
of the south safer. The chief port on the north coast 
is the capital, San Juan. On the west is the impor- 
tant harbor of Mayaguez. On the south side are 
Guanica, Ponce and Guayama. 



As to SCENIC INTEREST, 

Until there are better means of communication 
within the island, the interior of Porto Rico will be 
a fairer field for the explorer than for the excursion- 
ist. The conditions of the railroads and highways 
has already been referred to. and in the section de- 
voted to the cities there will be found references to 
many points of interest. 

The luxuriance of the vegetation, the equability of 
the climate, the great plantations, the indolent char- 
acter of the native life, the antiquity of its cities and 
churches, the wildness of its mountain scenery and 
the peaceful aspect of its sylvan lowlands, the tropi- 
cal beauties along the river banks and the varied 
cliff and beach of its coast, will all combine to make 



174 Our New Possessions. 

Porto Rico one of the most charming resorts in the 
Antilles. 



As to HISTORY. 

Porto Rico v;as discovered by Columbus in 1493 
and invaded by the Spaniards, under Ponce de Leon, 
who in a few years exterminated the natives, then 
600,000 or 800,000 in number. 

Slavery was abolished by the Spanish Cortes in 
March, 1873. 

The United States Army, under General Miles, 
landed at Guanicaon and the town surrendered imme- 
diately, Ponce following July 28, 1898. When the 
armistice was proclaimed, August 12, the American 
troops were prepared for a definitive campaign. The 
evacuation of Porto Rico began September 20th, our 
army and navy taking formal possession of the isl- 
and at San Juan, October 18, 1898. 



THE ISLAND OF VIEQUE. 

The island of Vieque, situated thirteen miles east 
of Porto Rico, is twenty-one miles long and six 
miles wide. Its land is very fertile and adapted to 
the cultivation of almost all the fruits and vegetables 
that grow in the West Indies. Cattle are raised and 
sugar cultivated. It has a population of some 6,000. 



Porto Rico and Adjacent Isles. 175 

The town. Isabel Segimda, is on the north, and the 
port is unsafe in times of northerly wind, like all the 
anchorages on that side; the few ports on the south 
are better, the best being Punta Arenas. 

Not long ago there were two importing and ex- 
porting houses on the island of Vieque; but, on ac- 
count of the long period of drought and the high 
duties on foreign imported goods, trade has de- 
creased to local consumption only. All supplies are 
brought from San Juan, the majority being of Amer- 
ican origin. The climate is fine and there have 
never been any contagious diseases. 



4- 



PAGE INDEX. 



Ph. = Philippines. H. I. = Hawaiian Islands. 
C. = Cuba. P. R. = Porto Rico. 

A. 

Area— Ph., 7; H. I., 42; C, 78; P. R., 149. 

Americans in — Ph., 8; H. I., 43. 

Agriculture— Ph., 32, 36, 2>1, 38; H. I., 55, 69; C, 114, 

116; P. R., 162. 
Animals — Ph., Z'^, 35; C., 118. 

B. 

British in — Ph., 8, 19; H. I., 43. 

Business Chances — Ph., 19; H. L, 55; C, 112; P. R., 161. 

Boots and Shoes — Ph., 21. 

Bananas— H. I., 52, 56; C, 116; P. R., 163. 

Boundaries — Ph., 8; H. I., 42; P. R,, 172, 

Buildings— Ph., 24, 27, 28, 29; H. I., 68; C, 128; P. R., 

168, 171. 
Boston to — C, 96. 

C. 

Climate— Ph., 9; H. L, 44; C, 84; P. R., 151. 

Cuba — C, 78. 

Cubans — C, 128. 

Cost of Getting to — Ph., 13; H. I., 46; C, 93; P. R., 154. 

Cost of Living in — H. I., 57; C, 119; P. R., 163, 

Carriage Fares — H. I., 58. 

Commerce — Ph., 2>'2., ZZ', H. I., 52; C, 102; P. R., 156. 

Coffee— H. I., 52, 56; C, 116; P. R.. 158, 162. 

Courts — H. I., 63 ; C, 123 ; P. R., 165. 

Cities— Ph., 23; H. I., 67; C, 80; P. R., 150, 167, 172. 

Churches — Ph., 2Z, 24, 26; H. I., (iT, C, 127, 130; P. R., 

167. 
Coast— Ph., 31 ; C, 137; P. R., 149, 173. 
Cattle— Ph.. 36; H. I., 57; C, 118, 142. 



178 Page Index. 

Cardenas — C, 80, 135. 

Cienfuegos — C, 80, 133. 

Crops— Ph., 36, 37, 38; H. I., 55; C, 114, 116; P. R., 163. 

Cigars — C, 114. 

Cane Lands— Ph., 37; H. I., 69; C, 115; P. R., 163. 

Cable Service — Ph., 15. 16; H. I., 69; C., 100; P. R., 156. 

Chinese in — Ph., 8, 19; H. I., 43, 59. 

Cigarettes — Ph., 19; C, 115. 

Cavite — Ph., 26. 

D. 
Distances — Ph., 12; H. L, 46; C, 91 ; P. R., 154. 
Description — Ph., 30; H. I., 68; C, 137; P. R., 172. 

E. 
Exports— Ph., 16; H. I., 52; C. 102; P. R., 156. 
Education — H. I., 64, 70; C., 125 ; P. R., 166. 
Extent— Ph., 8; H. I., 42; C, 78; P. R., 149- 
EngHsh in — Ph., 8, 19; H. I., 43. 

Employment— Ph., 19; H. I., 55, 56, 57, 59, 64; C, 120; 
P. R., 166. 

F. 

Freight Rates — H. I., 51 ; C, 99. 
Forests— Ph., 35, 36, 38; C, 118; P. R., 163. 
Factories — Ph., 19, 25, 36, 39; C, 143; P. R., 162. 
Fruits — H. I., 56; C, 104, 114, 116; P. R., 163. 
Farming— Ph., 32, 36, 37, 38; H. I., 55, 69; C, 114, 116; 

P. R., 162. 
Filipinos — Ph., 8, 9. 

G. 

Germans in — Ph., 19; H. I., 43. 

Government — Ph., 22; H. I., 60; C, 122; P. R., 165. 

General Description — Ph., 30; H. L, 68; C, 137; P. R., 

172. 
Gold-Ph., 35, 37, 38; C, 116; P. R., 163. 
Game — Ph., 35; C, 118. 

H. 

Hawaii — H. I., 42. 



Page Index. lyg 

Hawaiians — H. I., 43, 44, 62. 

Humidity— Ph., 10; H. I., 45; C, 86; P. R., 152. 

Honolulu — H. I., 67. 

Health— H. I., 45; C, 89; P. R., 151. 175. 

How to Get to— Ph., 13, 14, 15; H. I., 46; C, 93; P. R., 

154- 
Hotel Rates— H. I., 58; C, 119; P. R., 164. 
Harbors— Ph., 34; H. I., 71 ; C, 137; P. R., 167. 
History — Ph., 40; H. I., 73; C, 145; P. R., 174. 
Havana — C, 80, 129. 
Hemp — Ph., 16, 17. 
Houses — Ph., 24, 29; H. I., 68; C, 129; P. R., 169. 

r. 

Islands, Names of — Ph., 7; H. I., 42; C, 78, 146; P. R., 

149- 
Islands, Number of — Ph., 7; H. I., 42; C, 146; P. R., 

149. 
Imports — Ph., 17, 18; H. I., 53; C, 102; P. R., 156. 
Institutions — Ph., 23, 24; H. I., 64; C, 125 ; P. R., 165. 
Industries— Ph., 19, 20, 21, 25, 29, 35, 36, 39; H. I., 55, 57, 

59, 65, 69; C, 112; P. R., 161, 162. 
Isle of Pines — C, 146. 

Inhabitants — Ph., 8, 9; H. I., 43 ; C, 79, 83 ; P. R., 150. 
Investments — Ph., 19, 20, 21; H. I., 55; C, 112; P. R., 

161. 
Iloilo — Ph., 29. 
Island of Vieque — P. R., 174. 

J. 
Japanese in — Ph., 8; H. I., 42. 
Judiciary — H. I., 63 ; C, 123 ; P. R., 165. 

L. 

Latitude— Ph., 8; H. I., 42. 
Longitude — Ph., 8; H. I., 42. 
Liquors — H. I., 53; C, 90. 
Land— H. I., 56; C., 113; P. R., 162. 
Labor — H. I., 59; C, 115; P. R., 163, 166. 
Laws — Ph., 22; H. I., 60; C, 122; P. R., 165. 
Languages — Ph., 8, 9 ; H. I., 64 ; C, 128, 



i8o Page Index. 

Leprosy — H. I., 75. 

Length of— Ph., 8: C, 78; P. R., 149- 

Living, Cost of— H. L, 57; C, 119; P. R., 164. 

Luzon — Ph., 7, 23 to 28. 

Live Stock— Ph., 36, 2>7 ', H. L, 57; C, 118, 142. 

M. 
Meals en Route to— H. L, 48; C, 98. 
Mail Service— Ph., 15 ; H. L, 51 ; C, 100; P. R., 155. 
Merchant Marine — H. L, 54. 

Mountains— Ph., 34; H. L, 71 ; C, 117, I37; P- R-, 172. 
Manila — Ph., 23. 
Mines— Ph., 35, z6, 37, 38, 39; C, 116, 132, 143; P. R., 

163. 
Matanzas— C, 80, 131. 
Malays in— Ph., 8. 
Manufactures— Ph., 19; H. L, 57; C, 143; P. R., 162. 

N. 
Nationalities— Ph., 8, 9; H. L, 43; C, 79, 83; P. R., 150. 
New York to— Ph., 12, 13; H. L, 47; C, 93; P. R., I54- 
Northwestern Ports to — H. L, 50. 
Newspapers — H. L, 66 : C, 128 ; P. R., 167. 
Number of Islands — Ph., 7 ; H. L, 42; C, 146; P. R., 149. 
New Orleans to— Ph., 14; H. L, 49. 

P. 
Porto Rico— P. R., 149. 

Population— Ph., 8; H. L, 43; C, 79, 83; P. R., 150. 
Portuguese — H. I., 43, 44. 
Polynesians — Ph., 8, 9; H. L, 43. 
Philippines — Ph., 7. 

Postage, Rates of— Ph., 15; H. L, 52; C, 100; P. R., 156. 
Provisions, Price of — H. L, 57; C, 119, 121; P. R., 164. 
Police — H. L, 63; C, 124. 

Provinces — Ph., 35 to 40; C, 79, 137; P. R., 164. 
Products— Ph., 19, 20, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40; H. L, 52, 

55, 68; C, 114; P. R., 161. 
Papers— H. L, 66; C, 128; P. R., 167. 
Puerto Principe — C, 80, 133. 
Philadelphia to — C, 100. 
Ponce — P. R., 167, 170. 



Page Index. l8l 

R. 

Routes to — Ph., 13, 14; H. I.. 47: C, 93; P. R., 154. 
Railway Lines to — Ph., 13, 14; H. I., 47; C, 93; P. R., 

154. 
Railway Fares to — Ph., 13, 14; H. I., 47; C, 94; P. R., 

154- 
Railroads in— Ph., 18; H. I., 55; C, 106; P. R., 165. 
Religion— Ph., 23; H. I., 67; C, 127; P. R., 167. 
Rivers — Ph., 23; C, 137; P. R., 172. 
Resources— Ph., 16, 19, 20, 25, 32, ZZ, 35 to 39; H. I., 52, 

55, 68; C, 114: P. R., 161. 
Rainfall— Ph., 10; H. I., 45; C, 87; P. R., 153- 
Roads — Ph.. 22\ H. I., 72', C, iii, 131; P. R., 165, 172. 
Revenues — Ph., 3Z\ C, 125. 
Rice— H. I., 52; C, 106; P. R., 157, 163. 

S. 

Steamship Lines to — Ph., 13, 14; H. L, 47; C, 94; P. R., 

154. 
San Francisco to — Ph., 12, 14; H. L, 50. 
Stock, Live— Ph., z^^ 38; H. L, 57; C, 118, 142. 
Schools— H. L, 64; C, 126; P. R., 166. 
Sugar— Ph., 17; H. L, 52, 57, 69; C, 104, 115; P. R., 

158, 162. 
Scenic Interest — H. L, 72; C, 143; P. R., 173. 
Santiago — C, 80, 132. 
Storms— Ph., 11; C, 87; P. R., 168. 
Soil— Ph., 32; C, 115; P. R., 162. 
Spanish in — Ph., 8, 19; C, 79; P. R., 150. 
St. Louis to — Ph., 14; H. I., 49. 
Savannah to — C, 96. 
San Juan — P. R., 167. 

T. 

Time in Getting to— Ph., 13, 14; H. L, 46; C, 93; P. R., 

154. 
Transportation to — Ph., 13, 14, 15; H. I., 46; C, 93: 

P. R., 154. 
Temperature — Ph., 10; H. I., 44; C, 84; P. R., 152. 
Trade— Ph., 16; H. L, 52; C, 102; P. R., 156. 
Teachers— H. L, 64; C., 125, 126; P. R., 166, 



l82 Page Index. 

Tobacco— Ph., i6, 36; C, 104, 114; P. R., 157, 162. 

Timber Lands— Ph., 35, 36, 38; C, 118; P. R., 163. 

Tribes— Ph., 8, 9. 

Telegraph and Telephone in — C, loi ; P. R., 156. 

Typhoons — Ph., 11, 12. 

Travel in— H. I., 55, 72; C, in, 131 ; P. R., 165, 172. 

Tourists, Points for — H. I., 72; C, 143; P. R., 173. 

V. 

Vessels — H. I., 54. 

Volcanoes— Ph., 31, 34, 35 ; H. I., 7Z- 

Vieque, Island of — P. R., 174. 

W. 
Wages— H. I., 57, 59; C., 119, 120; P. R., 163, 166. 

Y. 
Yarns — Ph., 20. 



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KLONDIKE 

A Manual for Gold Seekers 

By CHARLES A. BRAMBLE 

*' About all that can be told will be found in the 
present volume of 313 pages, a map included."— 
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^^WHAT CHEER?" 

By W. CLARK RUSSEl.Iv 

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<( ( 



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THE 
STORY OF A GENIUS 

Front the German of Ossip Schubin, 

The International in a recent issue had this 
to say concerning this talented authoress: 
•* ' Ossip Schubin' is the pseudonym of Aloysia 
^ Kirschmer, an Austrian authoress of growing 

popularity. She was born in Prague, in June, 
1854, and her early youth was spent on a country 
estate of her parents. Since her eighteenth 
year she has travelled extensively, spending 
her winters in some one of the large cities, 
Eome, Paris or Brussels, and her work shows 
the keen observation and cool judgment of a 
cosmopolitan writer. She is well liked in Eng- 
land.^' The story under consideration is infinite- 
ly sad, beautiful, exalting. At one moment you 
are rejoicing at the idyllic happiness of the 
lover, the bright promise of a glorious future. 
Then the scene changes, and your heart is 
bleeding with unutterable anguish at the mute 
g^rief that follows the irreparable loss of his 
love, which carries in its train lost ambition, 
talent, manhood. Just let iis quote one passage: 
" There is a suffering so painful that no hand is 
tender enough to touch it, and so deep that no 
heart is brave enough to fathom it. Dumbly 
we sink the head, as before something sacred. 
Never could he reproach her lying there before 
him, clad in the blue dress, of which every fold, 
so dear to him, cried * forgive ! ' Not to our des- 
ecrated love do I appeal, but to our sweet caress- 
ing friendship,— forgive the sister what the 
bride has done 1 ' How could he reproach herj 
with her parting kiss still on his lips ?" 



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